White ribbons have been tied along the Phillip Island bridge and in Cowes as a tribute to Sam Fraser this morning (Friday), ahead of the sentencing of convicted murderer Adrian Basham on Monday.

For the past few weeks, friends of Sam have sewed 10 metre-long ribbons, placing them on poles along the bridge, as well as on the Cowes Chapel St clock.

They have also been sewing individual lapel ribbons, which will be worn by friends and family at the Supreme Court sentencing of Mr Basham on Monday.

The prosecution is seeking the maximum term of life in prison for Mr Basham, after a jury last year found him guilty of killing and staging the suicide of the mother of their three children, Samantha Fraser, 38, at her Cowes garage on July 23, 2018.

Friend Alison Fitzgerald said they made the ribbons to raise awareness of domestic violence.

“Even making the white ribbons has been a very emotional time for friends and family and Monday is especially going to be a hard day,” Alison said.

White Ribbon is a global movement that focuses on making personal and community change to prevent violence against women and children.

In Australia, women are almost three times more likely than men to have experienced violence inflicted by a partner since the age of 15, while family violence and/or intimate partner violence is the leading cause of serious injury, disability and death for women in Australia. On average, one woman a week is killed by her intimate male partner.

https://www.whiteribbon.org.au/