Dalton Trent Oliver jailed for manslaughter of Graham Cameron in Stockton unit
Graham Cameron thought he was being a good mate when he offered a homeless friend a place to stay. But his generosity brought him undone when he was stabbed in the back.
Newcastle
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A man has been sentenced to more than a decade behind bars after playing a part in a plot to assault his friend, who was then stabbed to death and left to burn in his own unit.
Graham Cameron, 54, was brutally stabbed in the back and neck with a knife three times after two people stormed his Stockton unit, in Newcastle, about 3.30am on July 26, 2021.
Dalton Trent Oliver, who was 21 at the time, and a child had made plans to assault Mr Cameron before an altercation erupted and the victim was fatally injured.
The pair then set the Fullerton Rd unit on fire and fled before emergency crews made the gruesome discovery of the 54-year-old’s body some hours later.
Oliver previously pleaded guilty to his manslaughter and destruction of property by fire after prosecutors dropped a murder charge and his trial was abandoned.
In the NSW Supreme Court in Newcastle on Friday, Justice Mark Ierace jailed the 25-year-old for 11 years.
He imposed a backdated non-parole period of seven years, making Oliver eligible for release in 2029.
The court heard Oliver had just been granted bail over an unrelated matter and was “couch surfing” in the Stockton area because he was homeless when he met Mr Cameron through mutual acquaintances.
They had become friends when he generously offered him a place to stay for a few nights.
But within just five days of the pair meeting, Oliver and the young person had colluded to assault Mr Cameron.
The court heard at some point before arriving at the unit, Oliver realised the young person was armed with a knife.
It was the minor who ultimately stabbed Mr Cameron after his level of violence “escalated rapidly”.
He and Oliver then set fire to the property before they went to the bank of the Hunter River and burned clothing worn that morning. Police would later recover the clothing, revealing the blood of Mr Cameron and the DNA of both he and Oliver.
While Oliver did not stab Mr Cameron, Justice Ierace explained he had been part of a joint criminal enterprise.
However, the judge accepted the 25-year-old did not contemplate an intention to kill.
The court heard Oliver and the young person had consumed cannabis before the killing and had made an agreement to assault Mr Cameron.
The court further heard Oliver had issues with aggression and impulse control, and that his maturity was lower than his actual age due to severe childhood deprivation.
He also suffered from paranoia, stemming from an incident in which he was stabbed multiple times when he was 19.
Justice Ierace added that Oliver had expressed feeling “a bit broke” about his actions, but he had shown little remorse.
“Clearly the offence was not planned as did he not anticipate he would be killed,” Justice Ierace said in his sentencing on Friday.
“I cannot be satisfied a comprehensive causal connection between his childhood and commission of these offences, but his background resonates some degree with his offending behaviour and a limited causal connection and moral responsibility.”
He recommended Oliver needed to engage in drug rehabilitation and mental health treatment to reduce his risk of future violence.
Mr Cameron was previously described by a family member as a “determined and strong man” who beat cancer in his later years.
He had grown up in Balmain and was a keen rugby league player before he moved to Newcastle with his family.
The 54-year-old enjoyed going to the General Washington Hotel for a counter lunch with his dog Izzy.
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