Jury finds ‘Hand of Death’ Kevin James Pettiford, 38, guilty of murdering ‘Andy’ Murray in Tweed Heads, slashing inmate’s throat

The defence has failed to convince a Supreme Court jury a vicious murderer who bludgeoned two homeless men to death and slashed a prisoner’s throat was mentally impaired.

Kevin James Pettiford, 38, has been found guilty by a jury of murder and attempted murder.

The defence has failed to convince a jury a vicious killer who bludgeoned two homeless men to death in NSW and Queensland was mentally impaired at the time.

Victorian man Kevin James Pettiford, 38, has been found guilty in the Supreme Court of murdering Byron Bay rough sleeper Andrew ‘Andy’ Whyte Murray, 56, at Jack Evans Boat Harbour, Tweed Heads in 2019.

He has also been found guilty of the attempted throat slashing murder of Cessnock prisoner Nathan Mellows at Shortland Correctional Centre five weeks later.

Mr Murray’s body was found at Jack Evans Boat Harbour, Tweed Heads. Picture: Luke Mortimer

Pettiford also killed homeless man David Collin, 53, on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland in 2019 and cut a prison officer’s arm in 2020 – using a blade he secreted in his genital area.

Those acts were not disputed by the prosecution or defence in the trial before Justice Hament Dhanji, which kicked off on November 8.

The jury went out for deliberations on Monday, December 4 and returned with the verdict about 2.20pm on Wednesday – almost a month after the trial began.

David Collin was one of Pettiford’s victims.

Jurors were instructed to “be forensic, without sympathy” towards Pettiford and the evidence presented.

Pettiford, who pleaded not guilty, told police in recorded interviews he was the “Hand of Death”, his killings were “art” and he hoped to become Australia’s most prolific serial killer.

Twice, the jury requested transcripts – first from psychiatrist witness Dr Jeremy O’Dea, who said Pettiford lived with bipolar affective disorder and experienced manic episodes.

They also requested transcripts from psychiatrist witness Dr Gordon Elliot, who first told the court he did not believe Pettiford had bipolar, but changed his view after accessing more information.

Professor David Greenberg said Pettiford’s “killing of Collin, Murray, attempted murder of Mellows and his attack on a Corrections officer” were “all features of his anti-social personality disorder and narcissism”.

Crown prosecutor Brendan Campbell described Pettiford’s crimes as “calm, premeditated and planned”.

“There is simply no doubt the death of Mr Murray was caused by the deliberate act of the accused,” he said.

“The accused was doing the things he wanted to do, because he wanted to do them.

Police investigating the Tweed murder in 2019.

“He has consistently said he killed because that is what he wanted to do for a long time.”

Defence barrister Jason Watts told jurors Pettiford needed to show he was suffering from poor mental health and unable to “reason with a moderate degree of sense and composure”.

Pettiford told authorities he killed by code, did not target women and preyed on homeless men because he believed no one cared about them.

“I told you man, I’ve always wanted to kill. I couldn’t f--king hold it off any longer,” he said.

He flagged a “f--king fantastic performance” in court and spoke of the relative ease of prison life.

“Wouldn’t call it suffering though. I got it pretty easy – TV, books, pen and paper, roof over my head,” he said.

Pettiford, who described himself as “evil” and a “monster”, is due to be sentenced in February.