A former roommate in north Queensland has received a life sentence for the fatal stabbing of her companion, Kayla Golding, over four years ago in Townsville. Chante Lee White, aged 33, was convicted of murder by a jury on May 21, 2021, following a trial that revealed the brutal nature of the crime.
The court heard that White attacked Golding, 29, using a hunting knife, inflicting an 86-millimetre wound to her neck. The prosecution, led by Crown prosecutor Monique Sheppard, highlighted that the incident stemmed from a dispute regarding White’s partner. She described the act as “callous,” noting that it involved “a single slicing wound to the neck” that was both significant and dangerous.
In her closing statements, Sheppard emphasized the intentional nature of the act, stating, “The defendant showed callousness when she fled the scene prior to the arrival of emergency services and hid from police for two days.” Evidence presented during the trial revealed that police found White hiding in a cupboard two days after the stabbing, where she expressed to officers that she “simply did not know” what had happened.
Impact on Victim’s Family
At the sentencing hearing, emotional victim impact statements were read by the prosecution. Golding’s father, Russell Miller, recalled the devastating moment police informed him of his daughter’s death. He described the pain of not being able to share significant life moments with her, saying, “He misses being able to share life’s milestones as well as life’s small joys that come with being a parent.”
Golding’s mother, Michelle Golding, conveyed her ongoing struggle with the loss, revealing the torment of planning her only child’s funeral. “To try to plan the funeral for my only child is a pain I would not wish on anyone else,” she stated. She further expressed how her family’s future was forever altered by the tragedy, stating, “My whole family and my future family were stolen from me on that night.”
Sentencing and Court Reactions
On October 3, 2023, Justice David North sentenced White to life imprisonment, condemning her actions as “a violent killing” and noting her lack of remorse. He remarked on her attempts to conceal the crime, saying, “Your actions in attempting a clean up and disposing of the knife suggest that you tried to cover your deeds in an attempt to escape justice.”
As the sentence was announced, supporters of Kayla Golding erupted in applause in the packed courtroom. Outside the courthouse, Michelle Golding expressed a mix of relief and sorrow, stating that the sentencing would “never bring Kayla back” but added, “I feel like two bricks have been taken off my shoulders.”
Justice North also ruled that the time White spent in pre-sentence custody, totaling 1,542 days, would be counted as time served. No declarations of parole were made, ensuring that White will remain incarcerated for life.
