Kevin James Pettiford on trial for murder, attempted murder but claims he was mentally impaired at time
A Victorian vagabond who called himself the “Hand of Death” bludgeoned two homeless men to death in NSW and Qld, slashed an inmate’s throat – and planned to be “Australia’s most prolific serial killer”, a jury has heard.
Police & Courts
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A Victorian vagabond who called himself the “Hand of Death” bludgeoned two homeless men to death in NSW and Queensland, slashed an inmate’s throat – and planned to be “Australia’s most prolific serial killer”, a jury heard.
Kevin James Pettiford, 38, is on trial in the NSW Supreme Court before Justice Hament Dhanji for the brutal murder of homeless man Andrew Whyte Murray, 56, while he was sleeping at Jack Evans Boat Harbour, Tweed Heads, on November 21, 2019.
The jury heard Pettiford was living rough and binge drinking while on potent antidepressants, and that he killed by his own “code”.
Pettiford is also accused of the attempted murder of Cessnock inmate Nathan Mellows by slashing his throat about five weeks later.
Crown prosecutor Brendan Campbell told the jury that while hearing about Pettiford’s mental state they would also hear that evidence suggested he killed homeless Queensland man David Collin while he was asleep at Maroochydore, Queensland in September 2019.
Mr Campbell told the court Pettiford also slashed a Goulburn prison officer’s arm in March 2020.
The jury has heard Pettiford does not deny the acts occurred, but that he was mentally unwell and the defence is arguing he is not criminally responsible.
Public defender Jason Watts told the court Pettiford needs to establish he was suffering from a mental health impairment and “unable to reason with a moderate degree of sense and composure as to the wrongfulness of his actions”.
He told the court psychiatric evidence showed someone talking about broader plans – like Pettiford – is consistent with those with a “grandiose perception of themselves” and people subject to “manic episodes” often engage in “goal-setting behaviour”.
The court heard Pettiford had since been prescribed antipsychotic medication.
Mr Watts said the “proof is in the pudding” that Pettiford was mentally impaired during the acts was his change while being properly treated.
The jury heard Pettiford called himself the “Hand of Death” and targeted people who he believed “wouldn’t be missed” or were “just waiting for death”.
He was arrested five days after Mr Murray’s horrific death in the park.
Mr Campbell told the jury Pettiford killed him by using “increasingly large rocks”.
Pettiford signed a letter he wrote to top Tweed cop Detective Inspector Brendon Cullen “THOD” – the Hand of Death, the jury was told.
He told police “that’s the monster that’s been inside me for a long time” and that he “always wanted to kill” but has no longer been able to “hold it off”.
“I know what I did was wrong but I can’t f--king help it,” Pettiford told officers.
The court heard Pettiford told police they stopped him “becoming Australia’s most prolific serial killer” after thwarting his plan to bus to Sydney to kill multiple homeless people.
The jury heard Pettiford had markings on his cell pinboard that read “you will not feel, hear, see, smell or taste me, but I can promise you this, I will kill you quickly” and “you haven’t lived unless you’ve killed”.
Another board read: “For detective (redacted) bullets, bleeding throats, blood dripping from my knife, a quick death is all we can hope for in this life”.
There were also references to “carotid, 12 seconds” and “subclavian, three seconds”, seemingly referring to carotid and subclavian arteries
“I know I’m evil right? But I always say I am calculated and controlled evil,” Pettiford told police.
Pettiford told police his “instinct” kicked in at 10 when he drew his stepdad’s knife on two boys at a creek near his home and told them they were “gonna die”.
He said it was just a “matter of time” until things got worse.
The jury heard Pettiford preferred to attack victims at night while they slept, but he was looking for someone who fit his code while in custody.
Pettiford targeted Mr Mellows after learning he had no family or friends on the outside, the jury heard.
The jury watched Pettiford on CCTV footage played in court.
He appeared to creep up behind Mr Mellows, grab his head and cut deep into the right side of his neck using a weapon made of three razor blades and a piece of plastic moulded into a handle.
“When I cut his neck, the sound of his skin separating is something I repeat in my head every night,” Pettiford told police.
Mr Mellows survived, but suffered a gaping wound that required 12 staples to close, it was revealed in the court.
In a statement tendered to the court, Pettiford’s estranged mother, Kerry Pettiford, said her son had no mental health problems as a child.
She said she believed issues were brought on by the abuse of prescription antidepressants and alcohol as an adult.
The woman said she noticed a change at 19, when a family doctor prescribed antidepressants to help Pettiford through a relationship break-up.
Mrs Pettiford said in her statement her son “had trouble with anger” and “being unhappy with life”, but was a “good brother” to a family member with cerebral palsy.
But she called police after Pettiford assaulted her partner and left for Queensland in 2017, the jury has been told.
The trial continues.
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