<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A man who was twice found guilty of manslaughter over his drunken unprovoked </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/assault" rel="" target="" title="assault"><span>assault</span></a><span> on a beloved postmaster has been </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/jail" rel="" target="" title="handed a shorter sentence"><span>handed a shorter sentence</span></a><span> the second time around.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Troy Maskell has been sentenced to seven years and nine months over the assault death of postmaster John Burke and must spend a minimum of four years and eight months behind bars.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Maskell was jailed for eight years in 2023, with a non-parole period of five, after being found guilty of manslaughter in his first trial.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>LIVE UPDATES:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/us-israel-attack-iran-live-updates-donald-trump-latest-world-news-headlines/95e0f1d7-cdf4-42ad-866d-569779885e71" target="_blank"><strong><span>Trump warns the 'big wave' yet to come in war with Iran</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The 47-year-old looked straight ahead as Victorian Supreme Court Justice James Elliott handed down his revised jail term today.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Justice Elliott said his decision was based on Maskell's good behaviour and rehabilitation while in prison from the previous sentence.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But he said the "unprovoked and gratuitous violence at vulnerable members of our community" must be denounced.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/troy-maskell-gets-shorter-sentence-over-servo-death/08274576-4714-432b-bd3d-9664b010b32e" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He was found guilty of manslaughter for a second time by a Victorian Supreme Court jury in a retrial of his unprovoked attack on Burke.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The 73-year-old postmaster lived alone at the back of his Strathmerton post office in northern Victoria and would often pop into the local service station to chat with the attendant.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>On August 8, 2021, an intoxicated Maskell walked into the store around midnight with his partner and daughter, whom Burke greeted as he chatted to staff.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/tropical-cyclone-queensland-moderate-chance-of-system-forming-in-coral-sea-weather-news/ba7fb3c7-3d60-4a6c-a680-d91f2d826274" target="_blank"><strong><span>Cyclone threat puts northern Australia on high alert</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Maskell's partner called Burke a pedophile, before Maskell picked up a one-litre bottle of sports drink and threw it at Burke's head, causing him to fall.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He then walked over to Burke and kicked him as he lay on the tiled floor.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Burke died in hospital 11 weeks later from a brain injury.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>His sister Suzanne Heppell recounted how his slow agonising death was a horrific and catastrophic event that damaged her emotionally and psychologically.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Burke had been optimistic in the days after the attack, expressing a belief he would be out of hospital in a few days and back running the post office, his sister recounted.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But after suffering two strokes in hospital, his health deteriorated to the point where he lost the ability to move, communicate, or recognise anyone and was paralysed down his right side.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"One minute John was alive, next he was lying paralysed, unable to communicate, locked in his frozen body," Heppell said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I see Strathy being likened to a jigsaw, with John being a significant piece in that jigsaw. That piece was taken away from this very small, tight community."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Maskell successfully appealed his original convictions when a Victorian Court of Appeal board found there had been a substantial miscarriage of justice and ordered a fresh trial in July 2025.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><em><span>NEVER MISS A STORY:</span></em></strong><span> </span><em><span>Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></em></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><strong><em><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Apple</span></em></strong></a><span> </span><strong><em><span>and</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Google Play</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Make 9News your preferred source on Google by</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=9news.com.au" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>ticking this box here</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Sign up to</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://login.nine.com.au/edm?client_id=nineatnine" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>our breaking newsletter here</span></em></strong></a></li></ul></div></div>