Chadley Sheridan jailed for 25 years over the murder of autistic teen at Charlestown

A court has heard a man who strangled a vulnerable teenager to death while asleep in his own bedroom was suffering ‘ice’ induced psychosis. He has learned his fate.

Detectives at the crime scene on Charlestown Road where the teen was killed. Picture: Peter Lorimer

A court has heard an autistic and “vulnerable” teenager endured a “violent assault” and had no chance to defend himself, when he was strangled to death while asleep in his bedroom, at his home in Charlestown.

Chadley Sheridan, now 25, was found guilty of killing the 16-year-old boy, the son of a friend he was staying with, at the Charlestown Rd unit on March 15 last year.

The court heard it was without warning and Sheridan “did not relent” in his attack.

In the Supreme Court on Friday Justice Peter Garling sentenced him to 25 years in jail with a non-parole period of 17 years, which means he won’t be eligible for release until 2038.

“He has committed a grave act against a young and vulnerable person in his bedroom,” he said.

Forensic police at the crime scene on Charlestown Rd where the teen was killed. Picture: Peter Lorimer

“His psychosis was caused solely by the involuntary ingestion of ice and he is criminally responsible.”

He told the court Sheridan had used three methods to kill the teen and persisted until the 16-year-old was dead, which included smothering him with a pillow, strangulation by his hands and by the cord of a pedestal fan.

While Sheridan’s defence argued at trial he was mentally impaired due to psychosis from an underlying condition and did not know what he was doing was wrong at the time, the jury believed his psychotic state was due to the temporary effects of taking ‘ice’ and that he was criminally responsible.

Justice Garling said he was satisfied Sheridan’s psychosis at the time of the murder was solely caused by the voluntary injection of ice that night, and that he intended to kill the teen.

“He was capable informing purposeful intentions,” he said.

Detectives who were investigating the murder. Picture: Peter Lorimer

“I accept the Crown’s submission he was on notice using ice would make him psychotic. He was informed of the negative effects of taking drugs but continued to choose to use them.”

Although Justice Garling did acknowledge Sheridan had no motivation to kill and it was “not planned”.

“He was not on notice drugs would cause him to act violently,” he said.

During the trial, the jury heard Sheridan had been injecting ice, was intoxicated, and was having “auditory hallucinations” and hearing “a lot of weird voices”.

The boys father also gave evidence that he had welcomed Sheridan into his home and he and his son were “getting on well” before the attack happened.

The court heard on the night of the attack the 25-year-old was drinking Woodstock and cola cans and was playing the Sony PlayStation in the loungeroom of the unit, when the father and a friend left at around 10pm.

An hour later when they returned, they found an upset and crying Sheridan outside the apartment.

The father told the jury he went to check on his son about 45 minutes later to turn off a fan in his bedroom and found him on the ground.

He commenced CPR, and an ambulance arrived soon after, but it was too late and the 16-year-old was pronounced dead.