18-year-old new father Kingsley Alley allegedly murdered in Palmerston assault

An 11-week-old baby will never know the ‘beautiful, kind spirit’ of her father, who was allegedly murdered in Palmerston.

The family of a slain teenager are coming to terms with the “horrible silent void” that has filled their homes following his alleged murder in Palmerston.

The loved ones of Kingsley Vincent Leslie Alley Junior are not only mourning a “beautiful, kind spirit”, but a stolen future the 18-year-old had with his newborn daughter.

Kingsley was still wearing his Casuarina Senior College jumper as he held his squirming daughter Eleanor for the first time.

His grandfather Graeme Sawyer said the 18-year-old was in awe of the baby in his arms taking her first few glimpses of the world.

“When he came home from the birth, he was like most young guys in that situation — in complete shock,” he said.

18-year-old Kingsley 'Junior' Alley holding his newborn daughter Eleanor, with stepmum Kylie Simmonds. Kingsley was allegedly murdered at Palmerston on October 8.

Mr Sawyer said his grandson had his fair share of tough times, but now he had finally found the guiding compass in his life — his baby and her mother Madeline.

“(They) helped him take that next step into young adulthood,” he said.

“He was in that happy place. A young man with a lot of youthful energy.

“He was just a young man who finally found his direction in life.”

Just 68 days after meeting his baby, Kingsley’s body would be found beaten and bloodied on a Palmerston driveway.

Neighbours spotted the 18-year-old’s body at sunrise outside a vacant Driver home on Saturday October 8.

Police have alleged Madison Butler, 18, her mother Melissa Jane Clancy, 37, Dechlan Wurramarra, 20, and a 17-year-old boy fatally assaulted the young father, with all four charged with murder.

Mr Sawyer said he felt the enormity of the tragedy as he looked at the smiling chubby cheeks of his now 11-week-old great-granddaughter.

“It does bring home these things,” he said.

“This poor little thing is going to grow up and not know her father.”

Mr Sawyer said he had seen how loving the 18-year-old was with his younger siblings, and mourned all the stolen moments Kingsley would have had with Eleanor and them.

“You think about the general things in life … all those happy times,” he said.

“Birthday parties, and time down the beach and all these other things that she’s not going to get with him.”

Kingsley Alley with 18-year-old son, Kingsley 'Junior' Alley. The teenager was allegedly murdered at Palmerston on October 8.

“She won’t get to experience any of her major and exciting life events as she ages with her father.”

Mr Sawyer said Kingsley had big plans for his young family, finalising his white card to work in the construction industry.

“He was pushing that to get himself into work, and get a job,” he said.

“He was energised about it all.”

Mr Sawyer said his grandson was a talented young athlete, whose passion for rugby league had led him to representing the NT Titans side and making it into the under 16 Eels development squad.

The young athlete had also trained in boxing with his Uncle James Monck, and had started training after planning to join Muay Thai.

His non-biological mother Kylie Simmonds never had the chance to join him up, but she vowed to compete and train in his honour.

“He was turning into a wonderful young adult,” Mr Sawyer said.

“You’ve got a kid who was really starting to get his life together and show some wonderful personal attributes.

“To have that cut off — it’s impossible to deal with really.

“We’re never going to know where that would have taken him.

“It just makes the trauma around this all that much worse.”

Mr Sawyer said his grandson’s short life was not always easy, but throughout it all his “beautiful, kind spirit” was clear.

“He was like a lot of kids growing up at times, he was a mixture at different times,” his grandfather said.

Floral tributes at the scene of an alleged murder in Driver, on October 8. Picture: Glenn Campbell

“One of the things that often happens with young kids who have had a pretty tough time in life, that it develops a really powerful sense of character.

“If they can cope with that trauma then they really develop a wonderful spirit.

“We were sort of thinking ‘There’s a gorgeous kid underneath here, and he’s going to come through that as a young adult’.

“He was really growing into that now.”

Two weeks on from his alleged murder, Mr Sawyer said it was the little reminders of his grandson that would break him: Kingsley’s things left around the house, the sound of his siblings playing in the pool, his name on the chore board, the gut-wrenching silence of the hallway with no play-fighting, his seven-year-old brother playing video games without him, their unfinished veggie garden project.

“They’re the things you take for granted in daily life,” he said.

“You’re getting things happening and then they’re just cut out from underneath you.”

Mr Sawyer paused and took a deep breath before continuing with a shaky voice.

“It just makes you realise that he’s not there anymore,” he said.

“Coming home and not seeing him tidying up or playing with his little brother who adored him and looked up to him.

“All those little reminders sort of flash back to bring home the tragedy.

“It’s incomprehensible for the family and we’re trying to work our way through the grief.”

Originally published as 18-year-old new father Kingsley Alley allegedly murdered in Palmerston assault