External links
- Just Quietly - Make-Ups and Makeovers (2001 video)
Kay Nesbit is a victim's rights advocate and public speaker in Australia. Nesbit suffered a shotgun wound that eventually led to 57 operations to reconstruct her face. She later became a victim's rights advocate, public speaker and ran for office in Victoria.
Nesbit grew up on a farm in New Zealand near Christchurch. [1] In 1977, she moved to Melbourne. [1]
Nesbit's flatmate had been trying to avoid her boyfriend. [1] Nesbit was shot on 11 September 1985 after she told Paul Terrance Mallinder via note that her flatmate didn't want to see him anymore. [2] [3] [4] Nesbit survived the gunshot, but lost her jaw, part of her nose and her right eye. [5] To help her out, more than $205,000 was raised on her behalf in 1986. [6] The medical team at Alfred Hospital who reconstructed her face used other parts of her body to repair her damaged face. [7] [3] [8] By 1993, she had completed 31 surgeries at Alfred Hospital. [9] Eventually, she would have a total of 57 operations. [10]
She has become an advocate for victims' rights. [11] Nesbit began to start public speaking and telling her story in 1999. [12] She stood in the 2002 Victorian state election as an independent but was not elected. [4]
Nesbit's attacker, Mallinder, was found not guilty of "wounding with intent to cause murder" but guilty of "wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm" [13] and sentenced to the maximum permissible 15 years in prison, which was reduced on appeal to 13 years with an 11-year non-parole period. [14] He was released from prison after serving seven years. [4]
