Daughter turns up to court to see man who handed himself in over Robert McPherson’s murder

The daughter of a man brutally killed in a Redfern laneway 21 years ago said she felt “empowered” when police called on Wednesday night to say a man had handed himself in and been charged over the attack.

The daughter of a man brutally killed in a Redfern laneway 21 years ago said she felt “empowered” when police called on Wednesday night to say a man had handed himself in and been charged over the attack.

Robert McPherson was allegedly murdered while walking along James St, Redfern with a friend on the night of January 27, 1998 — they were set upon, police believe, by a group of at least six men armed with baseball bats, a chain, a stick, and a knife.

Robert McPherson’s daughter Teela outside Central Local Court. Picture: Darren Leigh Roberts

Teela pictured in her father’s arms when she was a child.

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Nicholas Bentley, 41, handed himself in at Redfern Police Station on Wednesday and was charged with Mr McPherson’s murder, along with a lucrative holdup at the Commonwealth Bank at Botany in 2002.

Mr McPherson’s daughter Teela McPherson on Thursday said she had suffered every day without “the best dad in the world”.

Ms McPherson outside Central Local Court on Thursday. Picture: Darren Leigh Roberts

She hoped Bentley’s arrest would eventually bring her closer to getting “closure”.

“When I got that phone call … it was overwhelming,” she told The Daily Telegraph.

“It made me feel quite empowered knowing that I may finally get some closure for myself, as a daughter.

“The hurt endured and the suffering that I’ve gone through as a child … it was hard not having that rock. I had quite a tough life and I just think if he was around me I wouldn’t have endured some of the things I encountered.”

Ms McPherson said she attended Central Local Court on Thursday hoping to get a glimpse of Bentley on the audio visual screen but missed his appearance by a few minutes.

The court heard Bentley, who also goes by the name Jason Nicholas, had only been released from Silverwater jail, where he had been held on other charges, nine days before handing himself in.

A lawyer for Bentley said he needed his antipsychotic medication Seroquel in custody and a Justice Health assessment was ordered by Magistrate Claire Farnan.

Police at the scene where Robert McPherson was ambushed by two car loads of men.

Court documents revealed Bentley was allegedly armed with a “chrome pistol” when he robbed $385,000 from the Commonwealth Bank at Botany on March 6, 2002.

Bentley did not apply for bail and the case — including charges of murder and robbery while armed with a dangerous weapon — was adjourned to June 13.