A grandmother who bludgeoned her daughter-in-law to death with a hammer, then hid her body in the neighbour's wheelie bin, has had her jail term increased by four years.
Huajiao Zhuang, 51, was last year jailed for 18 years, with a minimum of 13-and-a-half, for the murder of Dan "Selina" Lin in her home in Melbourne on May 3, 2012.
The Director of Public Prosecutions appealed the sentence on the grounds it was manifestly inadequate, saying the murder of a defenceless woman in her own home in the presence of her son was "brutal, callous and cowardly".
The DPP told the Victorian Court of Appeal the sentencing judge gave too much weight to mitigating factors such as Zhuang's previous good character and the risk of her being deported back to China.
Not enough weight was given to Zhuang's lack of remorse, the steps she took to conceal Ms Lin's body and two prior attacks on Ms Lin, the DPP said.
Lawyers for Zhuang said the murder was not premeditated and Zhuang was likely to have a more difficult time in prison due to her lack of education, limited English and limited cultural adaption.
Zhuang had come from a very traditional part of rural China and expected Ms Lin to call her "mother" and be deferential, the jury had heard during her trial.
She also expected to live with her son and daughter-in-law in Melbourne.
Ms Lin, however, came to Australia on her own as a teenager and was less traditional in her ways.
The pair had argued just before the fatal attack, as Ms Lin prepared to bathe her young son Alfred in the family home at Bundoora.
During the argument, Zhuang struck Ms Lin in the face and head more than 30 times.
Immediately after the murder, Zhuang left her grandson alone as she placed Ms Lin's body in a nylon suitcase and put it in a neighbour's wheelie bin.
In the early hours of the next morning, Zhuang pushed the wheelie bin 800 metres down the road to a nearby creek.
She tipped the bag down a steep bank into the creek and hid the bin.
The Victorian Court of Appeal allowed the appeal and increased Zhuang's sentence to 22 years, with a non-parole period of 17 years.
