Sister of Christopher Anderson stares down brother’s killer after botched home invasion
A grieving sister confronted her brother’s killer in court, forcing him to look at the victim's photograph and telling him she had “not seen one ounce of remorse on his face”.
A grieving sister has bravely stared down her brother’s killer forcing him to look at his victim’s photograph held up in court as she shamed the gunman for slaying another First Nations man.
Larkin Dwayne Moffatt, 25, intentionally gunned down Ipswich’s Christopher Anderson in 2021 leaving two children orphaned and an extended family devastated after a bungled home invasion over a trivial drug debt that had nothing to do with the victim.
He was found not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter on the basis of provocation and aggravated burglary by a Brisbane Supreme Court jury last week.
In a powerful victim impact statement Lisa Conlon said her brother’s killing had torn the family apart.
“Here’s the victim Christopher Paul Anderson,” Ms Conlon said, holding a large framed photo of her brother in the witness dock.
“A courageous, caring, humble, 36-year-old man who was willing to help anyone he could, but he’s not with us today due to a vicious act that killed him … by you, Larkin.”
Ms Conlon’s family attended every day of Moffatt’s two trials, the first having ended in a hung jury.
“I have not seen one ounce of remorse on your face. And even more disappointing is that you as a First Nations man killed another First Nations man, my brother, shame on you,” Ms Conlon said through tears.
“My brother was a wonderful, generous, likeable, kind, but most of all a brave man, he protected his family to his very last breath and you Larkin have taken that away from us.”
The trial heard Moffatt, 25, his brother Markiss Graham Moffatt-Cleary, Shaun Jason Birt and Aidan Eden Pascoe forced their way into Mr Anderson’s Gailes’ home where he lived with his infant son and then partner Felicity Kay Torrens who had short-changed Birt in a methamphetamine deal.
As Mr Anderson chased the armed interlopers from his property, after Pascoe discharged a shotgun into a wall joining a bedroom, he was gunned down by Moffatt metres from home.
His aunty Deborah said her nephew was a hero for his actions that day.
“We will always remember Chris as a funny, happy child and protected, dedicated father, but most of all as a hero,” she told the court on Tuesday.
“A hero who was then killed for protecting his home, his property, his family, he will forever be our hero.”
Mr Anderson’s mother Pauline said no words could explain losing a child.
“I will never get to see him smile again, hear him laugh, tell him I love him but more importantly hear him say that he loves me,”she said.
Daughter Ally said she hoped Moffatt thought about his cruel actions.
“I can’t hear my dad’s voice, see his smile. I don’t get to hear his laugh, and I can no longer feel his presence. I hope you think about what you did and how you have ruined my family,” she said.
Father Colin said his son was loved by many people
Justice Ann Lyons said Mr Anderson, who would turn 41 tomorrow, was shot and killed with a bullet that penetrated his heart less than an hour after Moffatt and his co-offenders arrived.
“His death is so clearly felt still by his large extended family who kept vigil every day of this trial,” she said.
“I could plainly see the grief and distress etched on the faces of his family when they saw on CCTV the final minutes of his life and heard in some detail the catastrophic injuries he sustained.”
She took into account that Moffatt, who was on parole at the time, had previously offered to plead guilty to manslaughter which was rejected by the Crown because the offer was on the basis he was a party to the offence.
Moffatt was sentenced to 12 years jail and will have to serve 80 per cent before being eligible for parole in April 2032 with time already served.
Outside court Ms Conlon said the family were very disappointed with the sentence.
“We’ve had to go through this horrible gruelling process the entire way through and there’s just been so many times that we haven’t felt like Chris was the victim,” she said.
Ms Conlon said her took brother’s photo to court because she wanted Moffatt to see who he had taken away.
“I wanted to hold that photo high and say that I was proud of my brother,” she said.
