A Shepparton man and woman have been jailed a combined 36 years for the “ghastly, grisly” Christmas Eve kidnap-killing of Wangaratta teen Charlie Gander.

Dmitri D’Elio, 28, was found guilty of murdering Charlie Gander, 19, after a trial in July last year while his co-accused Kylie Stott, 40, was guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter.

The pair faced the Supreme Court on Monday when Justice Michael Croucher sentenced D’Elio to 26 years prison with 17 years non-parole while Stott was given 10 years jail with six years non-parole.

The pair’s co-accused Danny Clarke, 41, who was found to have assisted in the kidnapping, was sentenced to four years prison and became immediately eligible for parole due to time already served behind bars.

Mr Gander’s burnt remains were found inside a Ford Territory which had been set alight at Bunbartha, near Shepparton on Christmas Eve 2022.

The Wangaratta teen, who was living in Benalla at the time, had been targeted by the trio for retribution, after they believed the 19-year-old had ‘snitched’ to police and gave up a friend of Stott’s, Tyson May.

After Mr Gander and Mr May were arrested together in November, 2022, the 19-year-old told police in a recorded interview Mr May, prohibited from owning a firearm, had a homemade handgun which he had tried to conceal from authorities.

Mr May would end up in custody and a disc of Mr Gander’s recorded interview would be viewed by Stott and D’Elio, who would decide to punish the teen for being a “rat”.

After setting up a drug deal in Shepparton, Mr Gander, D’Elio and Stott were at Clarke’s home in the early hours of Christmas Eve.

The court heard all three accused and Mr Gander had been using ice regularly.

As Clarke returned to his home, he was told Mr Gander had been bound by duct tape and put into the boot of D’Elio’s Holden Caprice.

They would drive the Caprice and Ford Territory in tandem and head to an abandoned house on Wanganui Road where D’Elio assaulted Mr Gander for some two hours.

While it was unclear where, how or when Mr Gander died, Justice Croucher said his death was likely caused by the sustained assault.

D’Elio took off in the Ford Territory, and was followed by Stott and Clarke in the Caprice.

The Caprice pulled up behind the Territory near the intersection of Loch Garry Road and Burgess Road where D’Elio waved the pair down.

The Territory was already on fire, with Mr Gander’s deceased body inside.

Justice Croucher said the ghastly scene left by the accused was befitting of a Stephen King novel.

“It was a grisly scene, and a horrible thing to do,” Justice Croucher said.

A witness would report the fire a short time later at 10am and the trio would be arrested on 30 December, 2022.

Heartfelt victim impact statements were heard in a joint plea hearing in December from Mr Gander’s family.

The court heard Christmas was now a time of sorrow and heartache for the family during a time which used to bring joy and togetherness.

Father Richard recounted the gut-wrenching news he had to give the family on Christmas Day and believed time does not heal all wounds, not when it comes to a child.

“Sadly, I think he is right,” Justice Croucher said.

“These and the other sentiments expressed by Mr Gander’s family are both natural and profoundly moving.”

In “cut-throat” defences, all three accused attempted to distance themselves from responsibility for the offending and implicated their co-accused.

The court heard all three had experienced hardship in custody, particularly during a stint in Shepparton for pre-trial hearings where Justice Croucher said they were subject to “inhumane and unnecessary” conditions.

They were considered to have good prospects for rehabilitation.

Both Stott and D’Elio had served 1137 days pre-sentence detention, with D’Elio to be eligible for release in 2039 and Stott to be eligible for parole in 2028.