David Reid: Sydney man who killed his parents now less dangerous, court hears

A man who was angry at his parents before killing them is now less dangerous because “significant stressors in his life are no longer present,” a court has heard.

A Sydney man who was angry at his mum and dad before killing them is now less dangerous to the public because “significant stressors in his life are no longer present”, a court has heard.

David Reid, 48, appeared in the NSW Supreme Court on Thursday after pleading guilty to the manslaughter of his parents Diana and Graham at the Sutherland home where they had all been living in 2019.

The former IT worker had pleaded to the lesser charge by reason of mental impairment instead of murder last year and prosecutors didn’t oppose that so the need for a trial was avoided.

Police said at the time of the killings Reid had dialled triple-0 threatening self-harm before the bodies of his parents were found in the property’s kitchen and lounge room with multiple injuries including stab wounds.

The crime scene and David Reid.

When it was put to forensic psychologist Dr Susan Pulman that she thought Reid’s future risk to the community was “not very great”, she told the court that major stressors in his life were no longer around.

“There is clearly a risk, but my own opinion in this matter is that we have Mr Reid with a major depressive order developing over time that substantially impaired his thought process regarding his living situation, his relationships at home that culminated in the offences and, now that that has occurred, it is my view that one of the significant stressors in his life are no longer present … so that feeds into his risk,” she said.

One psychiatric report had also raised the possibility of Reid being autistic.

However, Dr Pulman said it wasn’t unusual for people who have grown up in an environment where there’s not typical emotional reciprocity between caregivers and children to develop symptoms that present as autistic-like traits.

The court was told psychiatric experts could not definitively explain Reid’s mental condition apart from a potential major depressive order which had substantially impaired his thinking.

He was living at home with his parents despite being in his 40s, had a reliance on booze and had no intimate relationships.

Graham and Diana Reid.

The court heard conflicting accounts of the relationship between Reid and his parents, with one psychiatric report saying they found him to be a disappointment while Justice Peter Johnson, SC, saying he was left with an impression they were patient and caring.

Justice Johnson was told Reid’s case was unusual because most people are diagnosed with psychotic conditions in their late teens or early 20s.

Forensic psychiatrist Dr Adam Martin said he thought Reid still could be dangerous and that police photographs had shown the house in a state of disrepair which could reflect a degree of dysfunction between the three.

“I do not think it’s possible to say he’s at low risk of re-offending, unfortunately,” he said.

“I don’t think anyone has fully understood what was happening, the best speculation is that he was severely depressed … he was angry at his parents, which can be part of a depressive illness and he killed them.”

Mr and Ms Reid’s daughter-in-law Melissa said she had struggled in explaining to her children what had happened.

“The concept of murder and mental health psychosis is not something you can explain to preschoolers,” she said.

The sentence hearing continues.