Stuart McKnight jailed for killing elderly neighbour Graham Stevenson in Clifton Springs
A NEIGHBOUR from hell who stabbed an elderly man with a carving fork before burning him alive could be free in less than nine years.
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A NEIGHBOUR from hell who stabbed an elderly man with a BBQ fork before burning him alive could be free in less than nine years.
Stuart McKnight, 47, was at his neighbour, Graham Stevenson’s home helping him fix a pantry door when he launched the vicious attack on May 19 last year.
WITNESSES DESCRIBE FLINDERS STREET CHAOS
The pair had lived opposite each other on Bunganowee Dr in Clifton Springs for several years and had considered each other friends.
McKnight was drunk and falsely told police he assaulted the 79-year-old man after he had made an unwanted sexual advance to him.
He punched Mr Stevenson and when the father of three tried to defend himself, he whacked him over the head with a piece of wood.
McKnight then impaled the fork in his neighbour’s chest.
As Mr Stevenson lay unconscious on the floor, McKnight went to the shed and grabbed fuel, poured it around the house and set it alight.
When firefighters arrived, McKnight, who had returned to his house, raced over and pretended to try and break in to rescue his friend.
McKnight then told emergency services Mr Stevenson was a paedophile and suicidal.
But emergency services quickly became suspicious of McKnight when they saw blood on his shoe and he reeked of petrol. He was arrested at the scene.
Fireys quickly found Mr Stevenson alive inside the burning home and he was rushed to hospital, where he died on May 26.
The widowed aeroplane engineer, who had three adult sons, had suffered burns to 15 per cent of his body.
MONSTER COPS EXTRA 10 YEARS’ JAIL
McKnight pleaded not guilty to murder, but a week into his trial in September, when the jury was dismissed, he made a deal with the prosecution and pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter.
He also pleaded guilty to arson.
Sentencing him to 13 years jail in the Supreme Court on Friday, Justice Michael Croucher said it was an “extreme and brutal” response.
“You assaulted a man 35 years your senior. He was old enough to be your father. I think that’s a cowardly thing to do,” Justice Croucher said.
“Putrid and false allegations that Mr Stevenson was a paedophile and suicidal were just disgraceful.”
McKnight will be eligible for parole after 10 years. He has already served 582 days.