Young man jailed for stabbing death of Canberra teen Lachlan ‘Lachie’ Andrews at Casino KFC
The young man who stabbed Canberra teen Lachlan ‘Lachie’ Andrews to death during a brawl at a Northern Rivers KFC has been sentenced to jail but could be out on parole as early as February. Here’s the sentence.
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A Casino man found guilty of the stabbing death of Canberra tradie Lachlan ‘Lachie’ Andrews in a KFC car park will spend five months in a juvenile detention centre before he is eligible for parole.
The young man, who cannot be named because he was 17 at the time of the stabbing, snatched the life of Lachie at the Casino fast food restaurant on May 29, 2022.
Lachie had moved from Canberra to Casino to work on flood-affected homes when tensions arose between him and the offender over a girl. The young labourer lost his life when the teenager stabbed him in the neck during the brawl.
During his sentence in the NSW Supreme Court at Coffs Harbour on Friday, Justice Hament Dhanji found the teen did not intend to fight Lachie despite having previously hit him in a “dog shot” punch at Casino Beef Week the day before the brawl.
He said the boy made no attempts to use his knife until he was on the ground with his jacket pulled over his head, surrounded while being punched and kicked.
Justice Dhanji said the offender felt his life was under “significant threat” and that while his actions were “not reasonable” they were not “grossly disproportionate” to the circumstances the offender perceived himself in.
The court heard forensic neuropsychologist Dr Susan Pulman and forensic psychiatrist Dr Richard Furst said the causal effect between the offender’s mental health conditions and his offending were partly due to his impaired capacity to express his feelings verbally.
He told psychologists he “could have walked away, done things differently” and said it all happened quickly and he “felt threatened”.
The court heard the offender’s behaviour in custody was “more than acceptable” and, despite having ongoing cognitive and verbal deficits, he had good prospects of rehabilitation.
While on remand with Youth Justice, he has participated in a variety of programs including the My Journey My Life cultural intervention program for young Aboriginal men.
“The taking of a human life is a grave crime,” Justice Dhanji said.
“I find the seriousness of this offence is significantly impacted by my finding that the offender's response was disproportionate to the circumstances as he perceived them.”
He said the offender's actions were not a “reasonable response” but his capacity to respond was significantly affected by his cognitive deficit, anxious tendencies and fear for his life.
The “chaotic” and “clamorous” brawl gave the boy no time to think but just act in the context of youth and immaturity, he continued.
In handing down his Judgement, Justice Dhanji said while he accepted the young man would be vulnerable in jail, he said it was “counterbalanced” by the fact he would be one of the older inmates.
With no prior criminal history, good behaviour and progress while on remand, Justice Dhanji said the young man was unlikely to reoffend to a level of this seriousness again.
“There must be adequate punishment due to the loss of life,” Mr Dhanji said.
“The harm done to the deceased and the community must be recognised and the offender held accountable for his actions.”
Mr Dhanji found special circumstances based on the offender's mental health, prospects for rehabilitation, the need for a longer period of supervision to manage his particular needs and reintegration into the community.
The young man was convicted and sentenced to five years imprisonment with a non parole period of two years and nine months beginning from May 29, 2022.
He will be eligible for parole on February 28, 2025.
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