Cairns crime: Declan Laverty’s mum Samara speaks at inquiry into adult crime adult, time laws

A Qld mum whose son was brutally murdered in a bottle shop stabbing says a fear of losing her son all over again has driven her to sleep with a crowbar and wasp spray.

Queensland MPs sit on a parliamentary inquiry into the Making Queensland Safer amendment bill during a public hearing held at the Bolands Centre in Cairns. Picture: Peter Carruthers

A Cairns mum whose son was brutally murdered in a bottle shop stabbing has fronted a public inquiry into juvenile laws, saying a fear of losing her son all over again in a home invasion has driven her to sleep with a crowbar and wasp spray so she can protect the box containing his ashes.

A public hearing into the amendments to the Making Queensland Safer bill was held in Cairns on Tuesday.

More than 50 submissions were made on the broadening of adult crime adult time laws that now mean an additional 20 criminal offences including rape, attempted murder and kidnapping will carry jail sentences for convicted juveniles in line with adult punishments.

Chaired by Nicklin MP Marty Hunt the committee heard from a range of Cairns-based stakeholders, including an indigenous advocacy group, crime victims and Cairns Mayor Amy Eden.

In a moving submission Samara Laverty told the panel that until the night of March 19, 2023, she had two children.

“Now I have one,” she said.

Crime victim Samara Laverty whose son Declan was stabbed to death in March 2023 talks at public inquiry into the Making Queensland Safer amendment bill in Cairns on Tuesday, May 6. Picture: Peter Carruthers

Ms Laverty’s son Declan was 20 years old when he was stabbed in the chest by Keith Kerinauia with a 30cm knife at a Darwin BWS outlet and later died.

Though that crime happened in the Northern Territory the impact to Ms Laverty life as a Cairns resident was significant.

“I am absolutely terrified that I will get broken into,” she said.

“I have a 40kg bull arab dog. I sleep with a crowbar next to my bed.

“My son is still in the cremation box that I brought him home in because I am too scared to put him into an urn where the lid can be easily unscrewed if I get broken into, and it has happened previously, his ashes can get tipped out and I’ll lose him again.

“The community is being held hostage, we lock windows, we lock our doors, sleep with crowbars and sleep with wasp spray.”

Declan Laverty grew up in Cairns before and moved to the NT where he was stabbed to death by Keith Kerinauia at a Darwin BWS outlet in 2023.

Ms Laverty acknowledged institutionalised trauma often suffered by perpetrators of crime but said that can’t be used as an excuse and a “soft approach to crime has not worked”.

“It’s a small minority of youth committing these crimes, and these kids have so much potential, these kids deserve early intervention and be provided with wraparound services to become the amazing people they can be.”

The former paramedic said she hoped an early intervention night crime program for high school students through the Declan Voice Foundation would extend into Queensland schools after a rollout in the NT expected later this year.

In November 2024, Kerinauia applied for an extension to the appeal period, so the Darwin man could prepare a case to appeal his life sentence.

Mother and sister of stabbing victim Declan Laverty, Samara Laverty and Bridget Laverty speak at the Rally for Justice protest, organised in response to the sickening crime of an alleged gang rape of a woman at knifepoint in her own home on Friday, February 21. About 500 people attended the rally on the Cairns Esplanade. Picture: Brendan Radke

Deadly Inspiring Youth Doing Good co-founder Stacee Ketchell told the committee she had concerns about the tough new youth crime laws that the Human Rights Commission declared to be “incompatible with human rights.”

In her submission Ms Ketchell was highly critical of the youth justice system but under questioning from Thuringowa MP Natalie Marr, the DIYDG co-founder agreed change was needed.

In December last year the Far North officially was named the state’s youth crime capital, according to Queensland Police Service data.

“But we have to be so careful, and we have to act with humility and dignity, we need our victims to feel safe, but our young people are victims as well,” she said.

Cairns Mayor Amy Eden delivered a passionate submission calling for a hard line to a youth crime problem plaguing the city.

“We understand that criminal justice policy is complex … but for our residents, for those living in a stark reality of what feels like a relentless wave of crime, this is not an abstract issue,” she said.

Cairns Mayor Amy Eden addresses a parliamentary inquiry into the Making Queensland Safer amendment bill during a public hearing held at the Bolands Centre in Cairns. Picture: Peter Carruthers

“It’s frightening, it’s traumatic, and let me be very clear, Cairns is hurting.

“We are one of the hardest hit regions in Queensland for this crime particularly for repeat offending.

“Our residents in suburbs are afraid in their own homes, businesses are being broken into, cars stolen, sporting and community hubs, vital places of connection to young people, are being vandalised.”

Speaking on the recent gang rape of a woman in her own home while her partner was held at knifepoint in the next room Ms Eden said the “crimes (had) sickened our community to the core (and) sparked citywide outrage and disgust.”

At the conclusion of public hearings in Cairns, Townsville, Brisbane and Redlands the committee will table its report on May 16.

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Originally published as Cairns crime: Declan Laverty’s mum Samara speaks at inquiry into adult crime adult, time laws