Central Coast child killer SLD stands trial in Wollongong over alleged extended supervision order breaches

A child murderer, who spent more than two decades in jail for grabbing a three-year-old from her bed and stabbing her to death, was hellbent on finding a girlfriend every time he was allowed in public, a court has heard.

SLD (under the towel) murdered a three-year-old girl 2001 on the Central Coast. He is now standing trial in Wollongong District Court after allegedly failing to comply with extended supervision orders.

A child murderer, who spent more than two decades in jail for grabbing a three-year-old from her bed and stabbing her to death, was hellbent on finding a girlfriend every time he was allowed in public, a court has heard.

The evidence was heard at Wollongong District Court on Monday, where a man, who can only be referred to as SLD, is facing a judge-alone trial after pleading not guilty to three counts of failing to comply with an extended supervision order (ESO).

SLD was sentenced in 2002 for murdering Courtney Morley-Clarke by snatching her from her Central Coast home, where she was sleeping, before stabbing her in the heart with a steak knife and discarding her lifeless body down an embankment.

The court heard after being released from prison last year, SLD was categorised as a “high-risk violent offender” and placed on an ESO with a plethora of conditions.

These included “condition 30”, which outlined how he must not associate with anyone under 18 unless in the company of an adult approved by a Corrective Services NSW department supervising officer (DSO).

Courtney Morley-Clarke was murdered by SLD in 2001.

Flowers where Courtney Morley-Clarke’s body was found. Picture: Ron Hutchings

The court heard from Crown prosecutor Tim George and defence barrister Dev Bhutani, who agreed the key issue of the trial was Judge William Fitzsimmons SC’s interpretation of the term “associate”.

The alleged compliance failures occurred in October 2023 at Bulli Beach in the northern Illawarra, where the court heard SLD, now 37, approached three women who were all with a child under the age of five.

A DSO testified how the accused would have to submit requests to be allowed to go to locations including Macarthur Square, Campbelltown Library and, in this case, Bulli Beach.

“This activity was listed as ‘attend the beach’, which was for sightseeing,” the DSO said.

The DSO said SLD was obsessed with finding a woman to date, with the court hearing he “would approach at least one woman and ask them on a date” each time he was allowed in public.

The court heard from a corrections officer, who was off-duty and at Bulli Beach when he noticed the “large male with reading glasses” due to him sporting an ankle monitor.

SLD was on an extended supervision order which included many condition he must abide by including not to associate with children.

The officer said he watched SLD, a man he had “never seen” before, approaching a woman and a child at a kids’ pool at the northern end of the beach.

“[The woman] cradled the child and picked the child up and walked [away],” he said.

The witness told the court the support worker who was supposed to be monitoring him was “just looking around” and “preoccupied with his phone”.

The officer said he “watched closely” as SLD approached a second woman and child washing away sand at an outdoor shower before moving towards a third woman, who was feeding a child.

“Do you come to his beach often?” the officer claims SLD said to the third woman, before the accused allegedly said he had “just got out of jail”.

The alleged offending occurred at Bulli Beach, including at the kids’ pool (filled with sand) at the northern end of the beach.

The woman who was using the outdoor shower told the court the first thing she noticed was “he was wearing an ankle bracelet”.

She told the court SLD “asked a lot of questions about my son”, including his age and whether he was speaking yet.

SLD allegedly asked: “Has he got chickenpox? I thought they would have eradicated them by now.”

The woman said they were mosquito bites before the accused allegedly asked: “Is dad around?”

When the woman indicated he was, SLD allegedly said “That’s good I guess” and walked off.

The trial, which has a three-day estimate, continues.

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