Boy who suffered too much: Coward punch victim Thomas Kelly’s brother tormented before death
THE co-founder of the Thomas Kelly Youth Foundation and close friend to the Kelly family has revealed Stuart was determined to ensure no one ever suffered the same fate as his older brother.
NSW
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THE co-founder of the Thomas Kelly Youth Foundation and close friend to the Kelly family has revealed Stuart was determined to ensure no one ever suffered the same fate as his older brother.
“What he did to support the change and effect a reduction of assaults and presentations across NSW hospitals is unfathomable and is testament to his character,” David Anstee, who worked with Stuart through the foundation, said today following the 19-year-old’s death.
“He did not want the same fate to come to others as did his brother Tom.
“He was magnanimous in his work to help other families and to foster the changes in One Punch legislation to help others avoid the same fate as his brother along with the Lockout legislation which has directly reduced night time assaults.
For the second time Ralph Kelly and his wife Kathy are grieving the tragic loss of a son after Thomas’ death from a coward punch in 2012.
Stuart, 19, was found on Sydney’s northern beaches on Monday after taking his life. His death is not being treated as suspicious.
“Stuart wanted others to Take Kare (in the name of his brother) of themselves and their friends — to look after each other, so that they would come home safely,” Mr Anstee said.
“Sadly, this is not the case for my friends, the Kelly family.
“Ralph, Kathy, Maddie and the extended family have borne a price no family should bear — to help all of us. Rest in peace Stu, we’ll never forget what you’ve done for all of us.”
The Kelly family released a statement today expressing their anguish over the death of their second son.
“The most painful goodbyes are the ones that are never said and never explained,” Mr Kelly posted today.
And with that simple sentence a parent’s anguish was expressed.
Stuart Kelly was just 14 when a stranger told him his brother Thomas was going to die.
In the four years since he lost his “best friend” to a one-punch attack, several things have given him the strength to carry on — his family, his friends, The King’s School and his work in advocacy against alcohol-fuelled violence.
In a tragic twist, it’s the cruel backlash against his work for The Thomas Kelly Foundation, set up in his beloved brother’s memory to make our streets safer, that may have added to his torment.
At a gala dinner for the foundation last year, Stuart spoke of the heartbreak and the “scar” that he carried with him.
“I look back at that moment: I was 14 years old, I was told by a stranger that my brother, my best friend, was going to die. Those few words would change my life forever,” Stuart said.
“That was three years ago. However I carry a deep scar that you cannot see.
“It’s always there, it never leaves. It sits below the surface of your skin and surfaces when you least expect it.
“Tom never deserved to die that night, it was not meant to be his time; in fact I now believe that it could and should have been avoided.
“Our family lost a son and brother.”
Thomas, 18, was on a night out with his girlfriend on Victoria St on July 7, 2012, when Kieran Loveridge, heavily intoxicated, randomly punched him in the head.
Thomas suffered a traumatic brain injury and died two days later in St Vincent’s Hospital.
The family, father Ralph, mother Kathy, Stuart and sister Madeline, formed a foundation to campaign against drug and alcohol-fuelled violence.
The foundation’s advocacy led to the NSW Government tightening its lockout laws and introducing mandatory sentencing for violent, alcohol-induced offenders.
After graduating from The King’s School, the bright, “gutsy” teen was accepted into the University of Sydney to study marine biology but deferred after just two days.
Close family friends told the Daily Telegraph Stuart was the victim of bullying, torment and endless hate mail as a result of the lockout laws’ enactment.
The pressure took its toll on Stuart; he spent just one night at St Paul’s College before postponing his studies.
But the bullying and hate mail continued to plague him.
The school prefect sought refuge at The King’s School, a place he had called home for many years, and took on a coaching role with the school’s under 14 rugby team.
It is understood the Kelly parents, who recently sold their Moss Vale home, are now going to face to unbearable sadness of having to bury their second teenage son in just over four years.
Friends yesterday described Stuart as “gutsy” and praised his strength and volition in his pursuit to end alcohol and drug-induced violence. It was a fight which led to Stuart becoming a finalist in 2014’s Pride of Australia awards.
The King’s School principal, Dr Tim Hawkes, said the school was in deep mourning following the tragic death.
“The strength and character shown by Stuart when his brother was killed by a one punch attack in July 2012, was extraordinary,” Dr Hawkes said. “The death of Stuart Kelly is tragic, and a reminder that life is fragile, loved ones precious and each day a gift.”
St Paul’s College executive manager Derek Watt yesterday said he was unaware of any allegations of bullying while Stuart was in residence.
“I have absolutely no knowledge of bullying,” he said. “We are deeply distressed at what has happened.”
He said the bullying allegations had not been investigated by St Paul’s College, but an investigation would be carried out if a formal complaint was made.
Loveridge was jailed for a minimum of 10 years and two months for Thomas’ death as well as other violent offences in Kings Cross that night.
A spokesman for NSW Police said a report would be prepared for the Coroner.
■ Anyone seeking emergency help with mental health issues or needing crisis support should contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.
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