Ian Jamieson pleads guilty to the murder of three people in Wedderburn

IAN Francis Jamieson has pleaded guilty to all three murder charges for a triple killing in Wedderburn in 2014.

Jamieson, 65, offered the plea in the Supreme Court in Bendigo this morning, after initially only pleading guilty to the murders of Peter Lockhart, 78, and Mary Lockhart, 74.

Paul Holmes and Maree St Clair talk to the media outside court.

He changed his plea to guilty for the murder of Greg Holmes, 48, after initially denying the charge at a committal hearing in Bendigo last year.

The triple murder was on October 22, with Jamieson living in a house on Wedderburn-Logan Road between Mr and Mrs Lockhart and Mr Holmes.

He stabbed Mr Holmes during a fight on the man’s property, before traveling to the other side of the road to murder Mr Holmes’ mother Mary Lockhart and stepfather Peter Lockhart.

Jamieson will appear at a plea hearing in Bendigo on April 21, with sentencing expected for April 22.

Speaking outside of court, Mary’s son Paul Holmes and daughter Maree St Clair were relieved at not having to go through with the murder trial.

“(We’re) very relieved, shocked actually. We resolved ourselves for the next two weeks, and all of a sudden it’s changed,” Mr Holmes said.

“(There was) a bit of trepidation about what we were going to see and hear. We’re relieved. He’s finally stood up for what he’s done.”

Family members now have the opportunity to provide victim impact statements to the court to aid in the sentencing process.

Mr Holmes said it was their chance to let Jamieson know of the impact the crime had on their family.

“It’s our opportunity to say what we feel. It’s caught us a bit off guard, we thought we were gong to be a bit further down the track before we had to do it,” he said.

Blue wrens loved the colourful garden of Mary and Peter Lockhart’s property south of Wedderburn.

The birds became one of the couple’s favourite things about their rural home, and they would often watch them fly about the bushes and trees for hours.

On Tuesday, their family members wore blue wren brooches in court in memory of the couple, murdered by Ian Francis Jamieson in their own home.

“They were for mum and Peter,” daughter Maree St Clair said.

“That was our talisman to take to court.”

Across the road from their well-maintained garden was the home of Ian Jamieson, with a large red storage shed dominating its yard.

Next door and across a track was a large house with an Australia flag flying proudly – the home of Iraq War veteran Greg Holmes.

The track was at the heart of several confrontations between Jamieson and Mr Holmes.

The family never expected the disagreement to become deadly – a fact that continues to confuse even as Jamieson pleads guilty to three charges of murder.

Paul Holmes, the brother of Greg and son of Mary, said it was unlikely they would ever understand the murders.

“It doesn’t make any sense. It will never make any sense, we will never really have any answers to it. It doesn’t sit at all, that someone could do something like this over a bit of dust,” he said.

The family have attended a number of hearings as the triple murder case crept along in Bendigo and Melbourne.

Jamieson would typically appear via video link, but on Tuesday he sat behind the family in the dock in court.

“It was easier yesterday and today because he was behind us. In Melbourne, most of them he was on video link, it hasn’t been easy to be in the same room as the man at all,” Mr Holmes said.

Jamieson will likely appear in court two more times – on April 21 and 22 for sentencing – before the matter is brought to a close.

Ms St Clair described the three family members as “beautiful” people who will never be forgotten.

“They loved us all, it’s really hard to let go, to forget,” she said.