Vigilante jailed for killing falsely accused pedophile
A man who fatally bashed an "innocent, unsuspecting" retiree after wrongly suspecting he was a pedophile has been jailed for at least six years.
Anthony Davies, 36, was in April found guilty of the manslaughter of Kenneth Campbell, 74, in the NSW town of Parkes in the early hours of May 6, 2020.
Davies beat Mr Campbell after breaking into his home as part of a drunken search for a missing girl, in a mistaken and baseless belief the vulnerable man was a sex offender.
Mr Campbell had suffered accidents that left him with a brain injury and with only one eye.
"There was no legitimate basis whatsoever for that (pedophile) rumour," Justice Michael Walton said in handing Davies a maximum sentence of nine years' jail on Friday.
The NSW Supreme Court justice imposed a non-parole period of six years, meaning that with time served Davies' earliest parole date is May 6, 2026.
Justice Walton described the case as a very serious manslaughter given the violence and fear Davies inflicted on the "innocent, unsuspecting" victim.
"The experience of Mr Campbell must have been terrifying," the judge said.
Evidence at trial was that Davies drank a litre of home-brew rum, or possibly more, at home on the night the attack took place, the court was told.
After setting out, Davies walked through the area and was heard to say "I'm going to killl everyone in the street" before breaking into Mr Campbell's house.
Davies was found to have punched the "vulnerable person" at least once to the face, which shattered his cheek bone and may have caused a brain bleed.
Mr Campbell's cause of death was blunt force head injuries sustained in the attack that involved a "significant amount of force," Justice Walton said.
In sentencing, the judge took into account that Mr Campbell's one good eye was damaged in the attack and that Davies left the victim dying for an unknown time.
"Mr Campbell died completely senselessly," the judge said.
He also factored in the victim's advanced age, his physical disabilities, social isolation, and that he was targeted out of a hatred for pedophiles.
Justice Walton said he had regard to Davies' traumatic childhood, mental health problems, alcohol abuse and difficulties managing anger.
"Some weight should be given to it in sentencing," he said.
Davies had "very guarded prospects" of rehabilitation, the judge said, adding that he had shown little evidence of remorse.
