‘GENTLE giant’ Shane Curphey was planning to marry the love of his life when he was viciously murdered in a frenzied knife attack in front of dozens of people in broad daylight.
The father of two, who was easily recognisable with his hulking 193cm frame and long ponytail, was stabbed so many times by acquaintance Kelvin Robert Willmott, then 35, at the Waterfront Tourist Park, on the Central Coast, that he was almost decapitated.
Willmott, who was sentenced to 28 years jail after pleading guilty to Mr Curphey’s murder, had taken ice hours before the attack on October 10, 2010, which the court heard would have amplified a number of mental illnesses he suffered.
Best friend Matthew Marlin told The Daily Telegraph he had warned Mr Curphey something bad would happen if he continued to visit the caravan park, where he was eventually killed, due to regular violent incidents there.
He said he was heartbroken when his mate was murdered.
“I told him I didn’t feel good about him going down (to the caravan park), you’re likely to get stabbed and one day it did happen. It hit me like a truck,” Mr Marlin said.
“Shane was a real gentle giant who would protect me against bullying drunks and always had a heart of gold.”
VIOLENT MURDER BEGAN WITH DRINKING
October 13, 2010 started without much drama for Mr Curphey, meeting friends Daniel Curds and Jodie Murray for drinks at the sports club before heading back to Curds’ cabin to continue drinking in the afternoon.
It was there that he encountered Willmott.
After Willmott joked that he had drugged Curds’ beer, Mr Curphey began to argue with him and eventually forced him to leave the cabin.
He became increasingly angered by the encounter and eventually went to look for Willmott with the aim of starting a fight.
Willmott, who had returned to the cabin he shared with his mother, grew increasingly paranoid that Mr Curphey was out to get him and armed himself with two steak knives before heading out to confront him.
He bumped into Mr Curphey and Ms Murray shortly after 5.30pm.
With many of the park’s residents including children walking around, the pair began to argue loudly.
Willmott was pushed to the ground by Mr Curphey and produced the knife before jumping on the man and beginning the frenzied attack.
He continued to stab Mr Curphey in the head and neck and was dancing and laughing around the victim, according to one witness who had called triple-0.
As his mother stood watching, witnesses said Willmott slashed at Mr Curphey’s throat in what looked like an attempt to decapitate him.
The court heard that he looked at his mother and asked “How’s this?” and said “Have a f***ing look at that!”
The arrival of police at the scene did nothing to slow the offender down and it wasn’t until they drew their guns and ordered him to the ground that he eventually stopped.
ICE KILLERS: AN INSIDE LOOK
CHAPTER 1: HIGH ON ICE WHEN HE STABBED A FORMER COLLEAGUE TO DEATH
CHAPTER 2: ‘HAVE A F***ING LOOK AT THAT’, ADDICT YELLED AS HE STABBED VICTIM MORE THAN 100 TIMES
CHAPTER 3: HE BASHED HIS TEEN GIRLFRIEND SO VIOLENTLY SHE LOOKED LIKE A CAR CRASH VICTIM
CHAPTER 4: HOW THE TOXIC DRUG EFFECTS THE BRAIN TO FUEL RAGE AND VIOLENCE
When Willmott was placed in the back of the police vehicle he appeared to be confused about the large amount of blood he had on his clothes and what had just taken place.
“Whose blood is this? Why am I in handcuffs? Whose blood? Why do I have claret on me, why am I under arrest?” the court heard he asked the officers.
Mr Curphey had been stabbed more than a hundred times in the brutal attack.
HISTORY OF VIOLENCE
Willmott was born in Camperdown and was effectively raised as an only child as his three half brothers and sisters were considerably older.
At 13 he moved to Queensland and two years later left school, going on to acquire TAFE qualifications in horticulture, landscaping and hospitality.
Alcohol had been a major problem in his life and in his teens he began mixing it with drugs.
During the murder trial, the court heard his mother described him as “very unpredictable and violent when he drank alcohol.”
Willmott wracked up a lengthy criminal record in Queensland, with convictions for wilful destruction of property, possessing a knife in a public place and common assault.
He was also convicted of assault occasioning bodily harmn and grievous bodily harm for which he was sentenced to prison terms of 18 months and four years.
‘ICE IS WHY SHANE’S DEAD’
Five years after Mr Curphey’s death, Mr Marlin was adamant that if it weren’t for ice, his best mate would still be alive.
“The drug ice is why he’s dead,” he said.
“If the bloke wasn’t off his head on it, Shane would still be with us today.”
While a NSW Police spokesman told The Daily Telegraph the murder wasn’t investigated at the time as an ice-related crime, it was suggested in court that the drug played a role in the Willmott’s behaviour.
During sentencing, psychiatrist Dr Olav Nielssen, who examined the accused, said that the dangerous mix of alcohol and ice fuelled Willmott’s aggression.
“It seems he has a pattern of becoming aggressive while intoxicated, which would have been increased by the effect of a moderate dose of methamphetamine taken several hours before the offence,” Dr Nielssen said.
Willmott appealed his non-parole period of 21 years, but the court found it was adequate punishment for the crime.
He will be eligible for release in October 2031.
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