Vic mum jailed for landlord manslaughter

A Melbourne mother of four who broke into her ex-landlord's property to retrieve her son's school uniform has been jailed for manslaughter.

Kristy Robb, 28, must serve at least two years and six months of a four year jail term before being eligible for parole for killing Alan Matthews, 69.

Mr Matthews died from a cardiac arrest after Robb and her partner Gino Rachele broke into a bungalow at the back of his Noble Park property in January last year.

Robb and her children had rented the bungalow from Mr Matthews who kept some of her property after they left because he claimed she still owed him rent.

Among the items still at Mr Matthew's property were pieces of Robb's son's school uniform.

Before school was due to resume, Robb and Rachele went to the property to get a red T-shirt, but were confronted by Mr Matthews as they were loading other property into Rachele's car.

Robb struggled with Mr Matthews, Rachele then forced him to the floor and restrained him.

After they fled Mr Matthews called triple-zero and said he had been "bashed by a woman and a bloke".

He died before emergency services arrived and was discovered by police in his bathroom about 3.30am.

He had lacerations to his head and face and a fractured sternum.

A Victorian Supreme Court jury accepted he suffered a cardiac arrest as a consequence of the stress of the assaults and found Robb guilty of manslaughter.

Robb and Rachele were charged with manslaughter but Rachele pleaded guilty to lesser charges of intentionally causing serious injury and one count of false imprisonment, then gave evidence in Robb's trial.

In sentencing Robb on Wednesday, Justice Rush said there was evidence to suggest Rachele played a greater role in what occurred than he admitted.

"I am not satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that you are responsible for the fractured sternum sustained by Mr Matthews which, on the evidence at trial, was the most serious injury sustained by him," Justice Rush said.

He also said Robb's culpability was reduced because the injuries she inflicted were not life-threatening in and of themselves.

"I take into account your actions in part were motivated by the concerns of a mother, anxious to ensure her son attended school with the appropriate uniform," Justice Rush said.

Robb has already served 171 days in custody and will be eligible for parole in a little over two years.