Johnny William Walters beat friend and father-figure to death for drinking his whisky

This grainy photo of a man was taken not long after he violently beat his long-time mate to death – now all he wants to do is apologise at his grave.

A violent drug addict who has spent 15 of the past 22 years in prison beat his “father-figure” to death as part of a “terrible over-reaction” to the theft of a mouthful of booze, a court has heard.

Johnny William Walters, 49, was found guilty of the manslaughter of John “Jock” McLellan on May 23, 2020.

Supreme Court Justice Laura Stein found Walters did not intend to kill Mr Mclellan but through his violence led to his death.

On Friday, Mark Norman KC, for Walters, told the court his client and Mr McLellan had been friends for 30 years.

“For decades it was Johnny and Jock,” he said. “My instructions are Mr Mclellan called my client ‘son’. He now has to live with the knowledge that he has killed his friend.”

Patrick Hill, prosecuting, told the court Walters had been on a three-day amphetamine and alcohol bender before the fatal beating.

Walters had 39 prior offences for assaults including against women and police.

Picture of Johnny William Walters in a taxi that was tendered during his trial. Picture: Supreme Court.

The court heard while he was awaiting trial in the Supreme Court for Mr McLellan’s death Walters was sentenced to five months imprisonment for two assaults on police officers.

Mr McLellan was 63 at the time of his death, used a walking stick and had myriad health issues.

He was a long-term drug addict and on the day of his death had used heroin.

Mr Norman said during the trial a medical expert said the assault sustained by Mr Mclellan would not have killed a healthy man.

The exact circumstances of Mr Mclellan’s death is unknown.

Justice Stein found Walters had struck at least three blows initially, leading led to Mr Mclellan’s death.

Arrest photo of Johnny William Walters.

A witness at the trial said the assault was prolonged and lasted several hours. However all the men involved were drug addicts and had been using drugs at the time so their versions of events varied.

Mr Norman asked Justice Stein to impose a merciful sentence on her client and find special reasons existed to enforce a non-parole period of less than the four-fifths minimum imposed by legislation.

He told the court Walters wanted to go and sit by Mr McLellan’s grave and apologise in person to his old friend.

Mr Norman said Walters traumatic upbringing had left him with a violent mentality.

“Fighting became his way of life,” he said.

Walters will be sentenced later this month.