Dapto family murderer Sandor Cikos set for freedom

Sandor Cikos was sentenced to at least 15 years behind bars in February 2001 for the murder of his wife Allison Penrose and sons Jake, 4, and Travis, 15 months.

All three were found dead in their beds just before Christmas. Ms Penrose had been bashed with a lead pipe and suffocated, a plastic bag pulled tight over her head. 

Both boys had also been suffocated and were discovered with plastic bags over their heads.

In January 2000, Wollongong Local Court heard Cikos killed after a sex romp soured his and Ms Penrose’s relationship. 

Ms Penrose reportedly had a fantasy to watch her husband have sex with another woman and when that became a reality she began to physically and verbally abuse Cikos for his “betrayal”.

In handing down Cikos’ sentence in 2001, Judge John Dunford said there was no acceptable explanation for the murders, adding the boys’ lives were taken by one of the people who brought them into the world, “and from whom they were entitled to expect security and protection”.

Cikos, 55, was granted parole by the State Parole Authority (SPA) on Thursday and will be released later this month. 

“In granting parole, SPA considered a report from the Serious Offenders Review Council advising release was appropriate,” a Department of Justice spokeswoman said.

“SPA took particular note of Cikos’ completion of all programs available to him to address his offending behaviour, his successful completion of external leave programs and satisfactory behaviour in custody.”

Cikos has served more than 16 years of a maximum 21-year sentence and was first eligible for parole in July last year. He will be subject to parole supervision until January 2021.

Parole conditions imposed on Cikos state he must not have any contact with his victims’ families and prohibit him from visiting the suburbs of Parramatta and Blacktown or the local government areas of Wollongong, Wagga and Eurobodalla.