Jury finds Kyle Robert Thompson guilty of murder for the second time

The emotional family of a man who was brutally murdered in his Townsville home have spoken out after his killer was found guilty of murder for a second time.

A TOWNSVILLE man has been sentenced to life in prison for the second time after a brutal and “calculated” murder.

It is the second time a jury unanimously found Kyle Robert Thompson guilty of murdering businessman David Knyvett in the man’s own Belgian Gardens home.

Thompson claimed he was “provoked” to kill the 56-year-old after an unwanted sexual advance on the afternoon of November 15, 2015 tipped him over the edge after years of sexual abuse.

A jury of nine women and three men spent the past week in Townsville’s Supreme Court where they analysed the evidence before returning a guilty verdict after deliberating for about five hours, rejecting Thompson’s claim he was provoked.

David Knyvett died after he was beaten to death with an empty whiskey bottle on November 15, 2015.

The group tasked with deciding the 32-year-old’s fate was not told the man, who used an empty Jack Daniels bottle to beat the man to death, had previously been found guilty of Mr Knyvett’s murder.

Over the course of the trial the complicated history between the pair was outlined.

Mr Knyvett hired Thompson as an apprentice, allowed him to live with him and occasionally offered financial assistance over about a decade.

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Thompson bounced in and out of the Belgian Gardens home periodically, but the living arrangement crumbled days before the murder when Mr Knyvett kicked Thompson out after finding out he stole his car and damaged it.

In an emotional statement, Mr Knyvett’s family said they were “relieved” with this outcome after a “very sad journey” and rebutted his killer’s claims of sexual abuse.

“Our brother David- Dave to his many friends – was a kind and compassionate man whose intentions when he gave employment and shelter were only good and sound.

“We deeply regret that our parents will never hear this outcome, both having passed away since Dave’s death.

Scenes of Crime Officer investigating the suspicious death of a man at a Belgian Gardens house on Saint James Drive.

“Now, all we can do is move on.”

In her sentencing, Justice Susan Brown said Thompson inflicted the “ultimate act of humiliation” on Mr Knyvett and had not only killed him but bound his arms and legs and dumped his bloodied and bruised body beside the toilet.

“You took away all his dignity,” she said.

Referring to a psychologist’s report that was tendered to the court, Justice Brown said it did not appear there “was any suggestion of any forced conduct” by Mr Knyvett against Thompson.

“The nature of the relationship has been the subject of much evidence in this court,” she said.

“He has not been here to defend himself or provide his version of events in relation to what has been alleged against him – he of course can’t.”

She sentenced Thompson to life in prison with a non-parole period of 20 years.

“Whatever the spark was that day, you hit him several times with a Jack Daniels bottle resulting in injuries that caused his death,” Justice Brown said.

“A death which does not seem to have been a quick death.

“Nothing can take away what you did and nothing should.”

The 1978 days (5.5 years) Thompson spent in pre-sentence custody is considered time already served.

Originally published as Jury finds Kyle Robert Thompson guilty of murder for the second time