Central Coast child murderer SLD could be back on the streets by Saturday, court told

At 13, he stabbed three-year-old Courtney Morley-Clarke through the heart. Now the NSW Supreme Court has just days to decide if Australia’s youngest killer should be released, or locked up for another year.

SLD was only 13 when he murdered Courtney Morley-Clarke in 2001.

Australia’s youngest convicted murderer could be released from jail by the end of the week if the state fails in its legal bid to have him locked up for another year.

The now 37-year-old, who can only be known as SLD, was just 13 years old when he murdered Courtney Morley-Clarke on the NSW Central Coast in January 2001.

The court heard he pulled the three-year-old from her bed in the middle of the night, stabbed her through the heart and left her body in long grass.

He spent more than 20 years in jail before being released on an extended supervision order in 2023.

But just a month after being freed from prison, he was rearrested for breaching the terms of the order when he spoke to a woman with a child at a Wollongong beach.

Police arrested SLD near Courtney Morley-Clarke’s home in 2001.

He was found guilty of one count of failing to comply with the extended supervision order, which barred him from having contact with children, and was sentenced to 13 months behind bars.

Following the expiry of the sentence in December last year, state government lawyers applied to the NSW Supreme Court to have SLD detained in custody for another 12 months under a continuing detention order, claiming he presented a substantial risk to public safety if allowed back into the community.

The court agreed to hold SLD in custody on an interim basis while the application was being determined.

During a hearing before Justice Mark Ierace on Tuesday, lawyers for the state revealed SLD’s interim order was due to expire on Saturday, meaning a decision on his future would need to be made by Friday afternoon.

It is understood Justice Ierace has the option of imposing the continuing detention order, which would see SLD remain behind bars for another 12 months, or alternatively, granting an extended supervision order.

Police searching for evidence near Courtney Morley-Clarke home at Point Clare on the NSW Central Coast.

Volunteers search property near the Morley-Clarke home in 2001.

The latter would pave the way for SLD’s immediate release into the community under the supervision of Community Corrections staff.

The court heard when at liberty under the same order in 2023, SLD had become fixated on finding love and approached “a fairly significant number of women” in public hoping to convince them to go on a date with him.

SLD’s treating psychologist told the court he understood that women might feel uncomfortable by SLD’s behaviour in approaching them, which could result in police intervention.

He said SLD had told him he hoped to negotiate for access to Facebook when released so he could approach women online.

He acknowledged SLD had issues with emotional regulation and was often motivated by revenge if he felt he had been wronged, but said he believed SLD could be adequately managed in the community under an extended supervision order.

Meanwhile, two court-appointed specialists, psychiatrist Dr Kerry Eagle and psychologist Patrick Sheehan, agreed SLD presented a high level of risk of committing serious offences in the future.

Dr Eagle further concluded there was an elevated risk of him being sexually violent, noting he had an interest in rape fantasy.

The case will return to court on Wednesday.