Act proven but not criminally responsible: Verdict for Matthew Robert Breckenridge, charged with murdering Scotty Parrott at Beresfield

A Supreme Court judge has found a man, who stomped on a stranger’s head nine times in 22 seconds on a railway station platform, could not be held criminally responsible for murder because of his mental health impairment.

Scotty Parrott died after he was stomped on by Matthew Breckenridge at Beresfield railway station on December 12, 2022. Picture: Dustin Clark.

A diagnosed schizophrenic who viciously stomped on an intellectually disabled man’s head nine times in 22 seconds during a brutally random railway station attack has been found to be not criminally responsible for the man’s murder because he did not know the difference between right and wrong.

Matthew Robert Breckenridge will remain in a correctional facility as a forensic patient until he is deemed fit to be released after NSW Supreme Court Justice Stephen Rothman returned a special verdict on Thursday of act proven but not criminally responsible.

Breckenridge had pleaded not guilty to the murder of popular local man Scotty Parrott at Beresfield train station on December 12, 2022, using the defence of mental health impairment.

Evidence presented to the court from psychiatrists from both the prosecution and defence had established that the impairment defence, which meant Breckenridge did not have the ability to recognise right from wrong at the time of the attack, was open to the now 29-year-old.

Breckenridge and Mr Parrott did not know each other when they both stepped off a train at Beresfield – Breckenridge had been on the phone to a counsellor when he stood at the top of a flight of stairs and kicked Mr Parrott in the head as the victim walked up.

Beresfield railway station, where Scotty Parrott was killed. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Peter Lorimer

The attack continued down the stairs before Breckenridge, holding onto the railing for grip as Mr Parrott lay strewn diagonally down the stairs, stomped on his head nine times in 22 seconds.

Despite the frantic work of witnesses and paramedics, Mr Parrott died from blunt force facial trauma.

Scotty Parrott

Breckenridge was arrested nearby, firstly gnashing his teeth at police before yelling “racist dogs” at the sky between making growling and snarling noises.

Justice Rothman recognised the broken lives on Mr Parrott’s family – including his mother, who still cannot socialise or go on a walk by herself because of ingrained fear since her son’s death – as he brought down the special verdict.

He noted the family of Mr Parrott, who lived with an intellectual disability, remained angry and devastated by his death.

“The death of Mr Parrott is wholly tragic,” Justice Rothman said.

“ The violence perpetrated against him has no motivation and was caused by the psychotic illness suffered by the accused.”

He later added: “The toll that the death of the deceased has had on his whole family and his friends, has been agonising.

“It is not unusual that every day events trigger a reliving of the traumatic experience of being informed of the death of their son and brother.

“These issues are a reflection of the love and esteem each of his family members had for the deceased, particularly as a result of the fact that he grew up with an intellectual disability.

“The hurt suffered by the family of the victim is manifest from the victim impact statements, which are before the court.”

The judge also noted Breckenridge’s long psychiatric history, which included 11 admissions into psychiatric facilities both in Canada and Australia, and that his schizophrenia was “partially treatment resistant”.