A man who kicked and punched a woman to death in a Sydney stairwell has been deported to his native Britain, bringing relief but some anxiety to his victim's family.
Steven Anthony DeSouza, 35, left Sydney Airport on a London-bound flight at (AEST) following a parole board decision to release him from jail, a spokesman for the NSW attorney-general said.
DeSouza, who used his abuse of steroids as a defence for his crime, was jailed in 1995 for a minimum of 12 years for the bashing murder of 21-year-old Fiona Harvey in Kings Cross in 1994.
The victim's mother, Bev Harvey, said she wanted people in the UK to know why DeSouza was deported.
"I'm just glad that he's not going to be here and putting any other girl in Australia in jeopardy," Mrs Harvey told Macquarie Radio.
"I needed to be sure that the English police knew that he was coming because my whole family was fearful of him being deported to Britain and nobody knowing who he was."
Mrs Harvey said she remained anxious that DeSouza may offend again.
"I'll be constantly worried about what he's up to and who he's going to hurt next," she said.
Last year, DeSouza dropped his Federal Court challenge to Canberra's decision to revoke his permanent and absorbed-person visas on character grounds.
He became eligible for parole in May last year, but his initial parole application was rejected.
NSW Attorney-General John Hatzistergos said DeSouza had arrived in Australia with his family at the age of 10 and settled in Sydney.
"The British authorities have been alerted, he will undergo assessment in the United Kingdom when he arrives and he'll be under supervision there by community liaison officers," Mr Hatzistergos said.
Howard Brown, from the Victims of Crime Assistance League, said Mrs Harvey had recommended DeSouza's release on parole.
The Harvey family had initially opposed parole because of DeSouza's refusal to complete a number of programs, but they changed their minds after learning he would be subject to newly introduced control orders in the UK.
"I honestly believe that her decision to recommend the release to parole was a very brave decision, but it was the right decision because she needs to get on with her life and she needs to keep continuing to assist other victims," he said.
A community liaison officer in Britain would make sure the parole conditions imposed by the NSW Parole Authority would be enforced, he said.
DeSouza is the latest of a series of convicted criminals who came to Australia at an early age to be deported to their native Britain.
In June last year, convicted serial paedophile William John Gallagher, who had lived in Australia for more than 40 years, was deported to Scotland.
