December 17th 2024.
A recent court ruling has decided to keep Australia's youngest-ever convicted murderer in custody for the time being. There are concerns that if he were to be released, he might act on thoughts of revenge that he has been harboring. The man, whose identity is protected under legal reasons, was only 13 years and 10 months old when he committed the heinous act of stabbing toddler Courtney Morley-Clarke to death. This incident took place after he had abducted her from a home on the NSW Central Coast. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison in August 2002, but was released on parole in September 2023. However, he was soon sent back to jail for violating the conditions of his release.
Today, the NSW Supreme Court granted an urgent application to keep the now-37-year-old in jail for an additional 28 days under an interim detention order. Justice Mark Ierace has also ordered the man to undergo psychiatric or psychological examination by at least two registered professionals, whose reports will be presented to the court. During the hearing, Gillian Mahony SC, the barrister for the state government, argued for the interim detention order, stating that the man has not been able to give a believable explanation for his actions. Mahony also highlighted the man's history of fixating on thoughts of violent revenge towards people he felt had wronged him.
One such incident occurred while the man was in custody when he slashed a correctional officer's hand with a razor during lunch, requiring 22 stitches. Mahony stated that this act was premeditated and planned, as the man had been ruminating about it for several months. She also pointed out that the man had made persistent threats towards another correctional officer in the past, although he was ultimately cleared of the charges. Mahony argued that the man's inability to control his thoughts of revenge was a major concern and a key factor in the decision not to release him on an extended supervision order.
On the other hand, the man's defence barrister, Dev Bhutani, argued that a supervision order requiring him to be under direct observation by an officer at all times would be enough to reduce any potential threat he might pose. Bhutani also stated that there had been a significant de-escalation in the man's fixation on the officer since the threats were made in late 2023 and early 2024. He added that the man's threats were made while he was in custody, and he believed that he was wrongfully imprisoned.
However, Mahony countered this argument by pointing out that the man had a history of non-compliance with supervision orders, which had already led to his return to jail. She mentioned an incident that occurred just one month after his release on the murder sentence, where the man breached a condition by speaking to a mother and her young son in a public place. As a result, he was given an 18-month jail sentence, backdated to his arrest in October 2023. The man will be first eligible for release on Thursday, and in the meantime, he will be undergoing psychiatric or psychological evaluation to determine the best course of action. Stay updated on all the latest news, sport, politics, and weather by downloading the 9NEWS app, available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.
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