‘Love killing’: Man ‘euphoric’ after murder
A man who called himself the “Hand of Death” and aspired to be one of Australia’s most prolific serial killers told police he “loves killing” after the “brutal” murder of a homeless man.
Kevin James Pettiford was jailed for 39 years when he appeared in the NSW Supreme Court on Wednesday after being found guilty of murder and attempted murder.
The jury determined he had killed homeless man Andrew Whyte Murray, 56, by bludgeoning him to death with rocks at a park in Tweed Heads on November 22, 2019.
On Wednesday, Justice Hament Dhanji renounced it as a “senseless, brutal murder” which betrayed a “complete lack of humanity”.
“The offender acted on a warped and utterly abhorrent view that Mr Murray’s life was somehow less valuable as a result of his circumstances,” he said.
Pettiford was sleeping rough when he came across Mr Murray’s makeshift camp in a park and decided to kill him.
The man had been “entirely defenceless” when the so-called “Hand of Death” grabbed three rocks from a nearby seawall and repeatedly smashed them into his skull.
Five weeks later, the jury found he had slashed the throat of fellow inmate Nathan Mellows while in custody at Shortland Correctional Centre.
The court was told he had used a homemade shiv crafted from wire twist ties and razor blades to cut the man’s carotid artery in the “unprovoked attack”.
Pettiford had selected his target after hearing the victim giving a “sob story” about having “nowhere to go”, Justice Dhanji said.
The then-34-year-old told police he killed by a “code” and preyed on men he thought were “less alive” and who wouldn’t be missed.
“I love killing,” he admitted during a police interview.
Pettiford labelled himself “the Hand of Death” and told police he was a “calculated and controlled evil”.
The court heard the murderer felt “relieved” and “euphoric” after murdering Mr Murray, but later wished he hadn’t done it because it was “a waste of life”.
Justice Dhanji said he had admitted to a “long held desire to kill” and showed a “disregard for human life” with his violent actions.
“He did not display anything that could be described as remorse,” he said.
Pettiford said the murders could have been avoided because he had disclosed to a hospital years earlier that he was having homicidal urges.
He argued he had been mentally impaired at the time of the brutal acts, but the jurors found he was criminally responsible.
“It is clear based on the jury’s verdicts that the offender knew his act was wrong,” Justice Dhanji said.
“He could reason with at least a moderate degree of sense and composure.”
However, he concluded the murderer “was suffering and continues to suffer bipolar disorder” which had “materially contributed to the commission of both offences”.
He sentenced Pettiford to a maximum of 39 years behind bars with a non-parole period of 26 years.
When taking into account the time the killer has already served, he will be eligible for parole in November 2045.
Pettiford sat slumped with his head downcast and twirled his beard in his fingers while the Supreme Court Justice described his vicious crimes.
He wore a green prison tracksuit and maintained a blank expression as he learned he would spend at least the next 21 years in jail.
