Jason Lloyd: Family speaks out after brutal domestic violence murder of Lynda Greenwood

The brother of a woman who was brutally stabbed to death by her ex-boyfriend outside her Como home in 2020 has told a court of his devastation that the system didn’t protect her, and neither could he.

A beautiful woman dearly loved by her family was let down by a “system that failed” her when she was brutally stabbed and bludgeoned to death at the hands of a man who claimed to love her, a court has heard.

Sylvania’s Jason Lloyd created an atmosphere of fear, threats and violence in his on-and-off again relationship of two yearswith Lynda Greenwood.

Tragically the now 42-year-old carried out those threats and killed Ms Greenwood, 39,only metres from her Como home in the early hours of October 20, 2020.

Lloyd confirmed he pleaded guilty to murder when he appeared for a sentencing hearing in Sydney Supreme Court on Friday.

The court heard Ms Greenwood had broken up with Lloyd and had previously had an apprehended domestic violence order taken out against him, which he had breached.

Lynda Greenwood, 39, was tragically found dead in her Como driveway, brutally killed by her ex-boyfriend. Picture: Facebook

Ms Greenwood’s brother Robert Higgins gave an emotional and heartfelt victim impact statement during the hearing where he spoke about the loss of his baby sister, and the violent nature of her death.

Ms Greenwood was 10 years younger than Mr Higgins but they were close with each other, and their mother Beverly.

“She was a kind and loving girl who wanted only the best for people,“ he told the court.

“She was protective of our family which is why she didn’t share her trauma or fear in the final months.

“Because of that I was unaware so when I heard of her murder it was a complete shock.

“The horrific nature of the attack on my sister will live with me forever.”

Mr Higgins said he had to come to terms with the fact his sister was “living in fear of violence” and couldn’t seek escape or leave the relationships safely because Lloyd had made her feel “trapped”.

“Now she is deceased because of the actions of this person,“ he said.

”The system failed to protect her and I as a brother failed to protect her. My sister is gone forever, any chance I had to protect her was taken away when she was murdered.

“Due to the threats by the accused, my sister felt trapped, unable to reach out for fear of what might happen to the ones she loved most.

“Her nature was to protect others but that risk meant she paid the ultimate penalty, murder.”

Jason Lloyd killed his ex-girlfriend Lynda Greenwood outside her home in 2020. Picture: Facebook

The court heard Lloyd had been drinking at multiple hotels in the area before he took a train to Ms Greenwood’s Cremona Road home around 12.30am.

He bludgeoned her to death with a baseball bat that he then washed at a garden tap.

Lloyd also stabbed Ms Greenwood multiple times with a knife, including at least 10 times in the neck area.

Mr Higgins spoke of the “nightmares” he’d endured and the sleepless nights he’d spent thinking about the violent way Ms Greenwood was killed.

“Thoughts of my sister screaming in fear and pain in her final moments is part of the nightmare we as a family must live with,“ he said.

“Her final moment in the dark, trying to protect herself from being beaten to death, stabbed to death and the facial injuries she suffered are horrifying images.

“Lynda will never be part of our life again, she is gone forever.

“Our family now has a broken heart.”

He said he would feel “guilt” for the rest of his life.

Mr Higgins spoke about how Ms Greenwood would care for their elderly mother; making her meals, taking her to doctors’ appointments and social activities, and how she was an emotional support.

“The loss of a daughter from the selfish violent actions of the accused in this way is almost unimaginable.” he said.

“I can’t begin to imagine the emotional distress of losing her only daughter.”

The court heard Ms Greenwood had a small online business and she donated profits to the RSL.

“She always had a giving heart, cared for others, shared her love with those who needed support and never expected anything in return,“ Mr Higgins told the court.

“It breaks my heart that someone so loving and caring was taken because of a single person’s decision to enter her life.”

Mr Higgins said he hoped with the conclusion of the case and sentence they could start to move on with their grief but it still upset him that Lloyd had never apologised nor showed remorse for what he did.

Lynda Greenwood’s murderer will be sentenced later this month. Picture: Facebook

Lynda’s father Don Greenwood said he first heard about a woman’s death in Como on the radio and had an anxious feeling it was his daughter.

He said it was her nature, however wrongly, to keep her troubles from her family.

“I remain haunted that my partner and I entertained the vile perpetrator in our house,” Mr Greenwood said.

He now had to accept that he would not see her get married, have children nor celebrate any birthdays or other milestones.

Mr Greenwood said he was touched when many friends were there for the family after her death, and noted Ms Greenwood’s employer still burned a candle next to a photo of her.

He said she loved living in the Sutherland area, had an “infectious laugh” and a “sunny disposition” and her death had left a “hole in the hearts” of her family that could not be healed with time.

During the hearing, Crown prosecutor David Scully submitted Lloyd “formed his final intention to kill” Ms Greenwood when he travelled to her house armed with a knife and a baseball bat.

But what preceded that night was years of threats of violence to kill her if she left him.

“If I can’t have you no one else can have you,” the court heard Lloyd sent to Ms Greenwood via text.

“There was a looming threat over the deceased that if she left him she would or might be killed,” Mr Scully said.

He said there was an abusive incident in a Kirrawee pub in May 2019 where Lloyd said to her “I’m going to kill you, I’m going to kill your family”.

At the time of her death, Ms Greenwood had broken up with Lloyd because of his drinking and violence.

Tributes and flowers were laid for Como woman Lynda Greenwood at her Cremona Road home where she was killed.

The court heard Lloyd had sent a text message to Ms Greenwood saying “don’t f****** ghost me” and had previously sent another person a text message saying he had a “nice sharp knife”, which Mr Scully submitted showed a degree of thinking about killing.

The prosecutor said when Lloyd bought the bat from Kmart two weeks prior and spoke about the knife he contemplated using them as “instruments of death” and taking the extreme step against Ms Greenwood, which he ultimately did.

“All the background leads to the firm conclusion there was an ongoing threat to the deceased that if she left the offender he would kill her or otherwise do serious harm,” Mr Scully said.

He said Lloyd knew violence and alcohol were problems for him due to the conditions of the apprehended violence order which stated he was not to be in the company of Ms Greenwood if he was drinking or taking drugs.

The court heard he had sent messages to Ms Greenwood claiming, “I‘m not violent Lynda...it is only the drink”.

Mr Scully also submitted there was no tenuous connection between Lloyd‘s disadvantaged upbringing, his alcohol abuse and the murder.

The defence barrister Tony Evers agreed at some point when at Ms Greenwood‘s house that Lloyd formed the intention to kill but suggested he went to confront her about possibly being in the company of another man, noting he was “jealous” and ”obsessive” in his behaviour.

“There is a history in the relationship of going to her house in the hope to convince her to take him back,” Mr Evers said.

He submitted Lloyd had previously made “serious threats” but did not carry through them until the fateful night.

Mr Evers said his client had a “limited criminal history” but did have breaches of AVOs, which he said were mainly from being in Ms Greenwood‘s presence while consuming alcohol.

He also noted Lloyd had tried to “make himself better” and recognised his alcohol abuse was causing problems in his relationship, adding he ”tried to address” them when he went to hospitals, to police and undertook a 12-week program.

Mr Evers submitted his client demonstrated remorse when he entered a guilty plea but conceded Lloyd would also benefit from a 25 per cent reduction in sentence.

The case was adjourned to July 15 in the Supreme Court.