Cairns man Rodney Stephen Rose had ‘no excuses’ for the death of Ballina man Steven Hadley Ponton, court hears
A sentence hearing for an itinerant, who has pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of a man who had welcomed him into his house for a drink, has questioned the killer’s tears of remorse.
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A troubled homeless man said he had “no excuses” for the death of a Ballina man after he was welcomed into his home for an overnight drinking session.
Rodney Stephen Rose, 53, returned to the NSW Supreme Court in Lismore on Tuesday for the second day of his sentence hearing after pleading guilty earlier this month to the 2022 manslaughter of Steve Hadley Ponton following prosecutors withdrawing a murder charge.
NSW Supreme Court Justice Richard Weinstein heard arguments about Rose’s culpability based on his mental health conditions of borderline personality disorder, schizoid tendency, and serious substance addiction disorders and homelessness.
The Crown prosecutor argued that despite his conditions and background, Rose knew what he was doing and meant what he said when he blurted out to two men he was drinking with: “A unit block is going to stink in a couple of days”.
She said it was an “odd observation” for Rose to tell two more men on the street he had “f--ked some bloke up in his house and shoved a fork in his head”.
“The very spot where the offender said the deceased sat on the lounge bleeding only from his nose and mouth is the same spot where he bled from the back of his head onto the lounge,” the Crown prosecutor said.
She said Rose told the court that he had only noticed blood on Ponton’s nose and mouth dripping onto his body – not the furniture or floor.
But if the only blood Rose saw was on Ponton’s body, and he was mobile, why would Rose think the unit block would stink in a few days, the prosecutor told the court.
“The remark to the man means he saw a substantial amount of blood in the unit. Not on Ponton, but in the unit,” she said.
The prosecutor said the fork was found in a pool of blood near the loungeroom door and it was used on Ponton by Rose beyond a reasonable doubt.
Some remarks that Rose also made to the two street men about him going to jail inferred he knew the assault was bad enough for a jail sentence, she said.
Defence barrister Jason Watts told the court his client admitted and conceded a reasonable person would see what he did was dangerous (now) though Rose did not think so at the time.
Mr Watts told the court that Rose was remorseful and had become visibly upset and teary during a police interview where he first learned about Mr Ponton’s death.
“I don’t know how things went the way they did, I know I have no excuses but I am so very sorry,” Rose would also tell forensic psychologist Emma Hubner.
“I’m devastated. Someone lost their life. I like Steve, things escalated so quickly.
“I never want to be like that again because of my drug use and drinking,” Rose said.
But Justice Weinstein said he was not satisfied Rose’s tears were remorseful.
Mr Watts said Dr Hubner pointed out Rose required, and would benefit from, ongoing drug and alcohol rehabilitation and counselling for his family trauma.
He said Rose’s evidence highlighted those issues, citing his homelessness as a priority.
Justice Weinstein said the question was the length of parole.
“Here is an offender who needs a lot of supervision and assistance and who will need a long time to reintegrate into society,” Justice Weinstein said.
The judge said Rose’s homelessness issue was the biggest problem whether he was released in NSW or Queensland.
He adjourned his sentence to February 21.
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Originally published as Cairns man Rodney Stephen Rose had ‘no excuses’ for the death of Ballina man Steven Hadley Ponton, court hears
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