Milorad Zaric, 48, was sentenced to 21 years and five months in prison for the murder of his neighbour Vicki Apostolopoulos in Melbourne's outer-east suburb of Bayswater in November 2024. The key numbers are 21 years and five months (head sentence) and 14 years and six months (non-parole period). The article reports on the emotional impact of the sentence on Ms Apostolopoulos's family, who felt it was "disgraceful" and inadequate given the brutal nature of the crime. Justice Jacinta Forbes took into account Zaric's reduced moral culpability due to his ketamine-induced psychosis in determining the sentence.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-19,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
In short:
Milorad Zaric, 48, has been sentenced to 21 years and five months in jail for the murder of his neighbour Vicki Apostolopoulos in November 2024.
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Zaric → sentence → November
Family members of the Bayswater woman, who had baked cupcakes for her killer just days before the attack, wept as Zaric was sentenced in the Victorian Supreme Court today.
Zaric's son had run to Ms Apostolopoulos's house to seek refuge after his father punched him and threw him down some stairs.
The devastated family of a woman stabbed to death by her neighbour, days after she baked him cupcakes, is struggling to understand how a life so precious could be "valued so little".
Warning:
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life → bake → cupcakes
This story contains details of violence that some readers may find distressing.
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readers → contain → violence
Milorad Zaric, 48, fatally attacked Vicki Apostolopoulos and assaulted her son after chasing his own frightened son into his neighbour's property in Bayswater, in Melbourne's outer-east.
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Zaric → attack → east
Ms Apostolopoulos's family sat in a packed courtroom, wiping away tears throughout Zaric's sentencing in the Victorian Supreme Court today.
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family → sit → Court
Justice Jacinta Forbes said Zaric's actions in November 2024 took a life and irrevocably changed many others, as evidenced in the 24 victim impact statements from family, friends, neighbours and colleagues.
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actions → say → family
"This reflected the breadth of love Ms Apostolopoulos brought and the loss occasioned by her death," she said.
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she → reflect → death
But Justice Forbes took into consideration Zaric's reduced moral culpability because of his ketamine-induced psychosis, deep remorse, previous good character and early guilty pleas as reasons for her to set a sentence below the standard 25 years.
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her → take → years
She set a head sentence of 21 years and five months and a non-parole period of 14 years and six months.
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Outside court, Mary Kadis declared the justice system had failed her sister, family and every single person who loved her, labelling the sentence "disgraceful and beyond acceptable".
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who → declare → sentence
"It is impossible to understand how a brutal murder can result in a sentence that gives the murderer hope for freedom, while the victim's family is left suffering a lifetime of loss," she tearfully told reporters.
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she → understand → reporters
"We will never get paroled from this sentence.
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We → parole → sentence
We will never get to see Vicki again, never hear her voice, another hug, or share another moment with her.
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We → get → her
"He has hope for freedom …
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He → have → freedom
my nephews don't have a mother.
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nephews → have → mother
I don't have a sister.
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I → have → sister
My mother doesn't have a daughter."
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mother → have → daughter
Zaric had been chasing his teenage son on the morning of November 16 after abusing ketamine, cannabis and alcohol the day before.
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Zaric → chase → ketamine
After the father punched his son, pushed the boy down the stairs and stomped on his head, the then-15-year-old sought refuge in Ms Apostolopoulos's home next door.
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old → punch → home
The confused neighbour let the boy inside and shut the door again.
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neighbour → let → door
When Zaric would not stop banging on it, she opened it and heard her killer chillingly utter: "Welcome home, Vicki."
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killer → stop → it
Zaric then retrieved a knife from his waistband and plunged it into her neck, stomach and shoulder in a frenzied attack.
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Zaric → retrieve → attack
"You attacked a woman who had no reason to fear you," Justice Forbes said of the woman who opened the door in a sign of friendship.
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who → attack → friendship
"You stabbed her with no reason, without explanation or warning."
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You → stab → explanation
Ms Apostolopoulos's son Riley Van Aken, then aged 16, grabbed Zaric in a chokehold and ordered his 12-year-old brother out of the house before he escaped after being punched multiple times.
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he → age → house
Riley, now 18, said he found the sentence "horrific" and spoke of the impact his mother's murder has had on every aspect of life.
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murder → say → life
"There's nothing I do, whether it be school or other achievements, where I feel any sort of success from it as I'm not able to share it with Mum," he said.
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he → be → Mum
Two days before the murder, Zaric had texted Ms Apostolopoulos to thank her for "amazing" cupcakes, which she had baked and taken to his house.
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she → texte → house
Sofia Apostolopoulos said her life ended after she lost her daughter and she only lived for her grandchildren.
"Vicki was my life, my first child, my best friend too," she said.
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she → say → grandchildren
The family would carry the unbearable weight of the loss forever, Ms Kadis said.
"Our family is absolutely devastated, shattered, and heartbroken, and struggling to understand how a life as precious as Vicki's can be valued so little," she said.
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she → carry → Vicki