Teen to be sentenced over bashing murder of Richard Matthews

The teenager who murdered an Innisfail man less than 150 metres from his home was on probation for violently bashing a former partner and strangling her cat to death at the time of the attack.

Horrific details of the murder of Innisfail local Richard Matthews were recounted in Cairns Supreme Court while the families of the victim and perpetrator listened in the public gallery at the sentencing of the man, 19, who committed the crime when he was 17.

The teenager who murdered an Innisfail man less than 150 metres from his home was on probation for violently bashing a former partner and strangling her cat to death at the time of the attack.

Now 19, the teen, who cannot be named, was 17 when he brutally attacked Richard “Murray River” Matthews, 63, on the afternoon of Easter Monday, April 10, 2023.

He pleaded guilty to murder and appeared for sentencing on Tuesday in the Cairns Supreme Court.

Justice James Henry will deliver his sentence on Thursday afternoon.

Harrowing details were shared with the court of the extreme injuries inflicted on Mr Matthews, and the distressing seizures, brain bleeds, multiple resuscitations and blindness, which he suffered in hospital before his “slow and painful” death two months later on June 27.

Crown prosecutor Michael Lehane told the court Mr Matthews, who had a visible disability that affected his movement, was walking home from the Commercial Hotel in Innisfail where he had drunk a few pots of beer and played Keno before he was set upon by the boy.

Shortly after the attack, the boy passed two local people and told them there was a “fella with blood” around the corner and asked them to call an ambulance, Mr Lehane said.

One the first doctors who attended to Mr Matthews in Innisfail described his injuries as a “massive obliteration of facial bones and sinuses”.

Another treating doctor said the injuries to Mr Matthews’ face were similar to what one would expect from being struck by a car.

The boy was interviewed by police several times in the days that followed, and changed his story each time before saying he had “just used jabs” against Mr Matthews.

He claimed he had “reacted” because Mr Matthews swore at him, curled his fists and asked the boy to leave him alone, the court was told.

Cairns Police Inspector Jason Chetham addresses the media in 2023 over upgraded charges to a 17-year-old boy over the death of 63-year-old Richard Matthews of Innisfail. Picture: Brendan Radke

Mr Lehane outlined the young man’s criminal history, saying he was on probation at the time, having been sentenced for 19 offences, including for five assault occasioning bodily harm charges, two strangulation, and one serious animal cruelty charge related to domestic violence offending in 2021 when he punched, headbutted and strangled a former partner and killed her pet cat by strangling it.

A psychiatric report prepared at the time described the boy as a moderate to high risk of future violence.

Mr Lehane submitted a sentence of at least 20 years should be imposed, and invited Justice Henry to declare the crime a “heinous” one, which would allow for a sentence greater than the maximum of 10 years, as set out in the relevant parts of the Youth Justice Act that apply to the sentence.

He said recent changes related to “adult crime, adult time” did not apply to this sentence because of its timing.

Defence barrister James Sheridan said the boy grew up in an environment of “marked dysfunctionality”.

He said his life experience, which was punctuated by domestic violence as a victim and witness, had affected his ability to manage his anger and temper, but that he had completed some courses while on probation.

“He has expressed remorse and in his words, he said he wishes he could go back into time to fix it,” Mr Sheridan told the court.

Mr Sheridan submitted that a sentence of 10 years was more appropriate, saying the crime should not be classed as heinous as it was not premeditated, and involved only fists.

Remembered by his community as a beloved Innisfail local, Richard Matthews was assaulted by a Townsville teenager on his way home from an Innisfail Hotel on April 10.

Three victim impact statements were read to the court from Mr Matthews’ sister and nephews, describing the tragic loss to the family, not only of Mr Matthews’ life, but also the subsequent death of his brother by stroke, which they believe was brought on by the stress of the situation.

His sister’s victim impact statement described her ongoing depression and trauma at the sudden loss of both her brothers, as well as coming to terms with the haunting images of her brother – unrecognisable after the attack – and of his ongoing pain before his death.

She said she had to resign from her job to be by her brother’s side after the attack.

“I have no brothers. I have no job. I have no income. I can’t sleep. I am not OK. I am destroyed.” her statement said.

“I can’t return to my family home of more than 50 years in Innisfail because it is too painful for me.”

She said the place where her brother was attacked could be seen from the front door of the family home.

Justice Henry will sentence the boy on Thursday.

Originally published as Teen to be sentenced over bashing murder of Richard Matthews