Thomas Bednar sentenced to 29 years jail after being found guilty of murdering his mother

A man who bashed his mum to death at her Chelsea home has been sentenced after what was described as a “planned and vicious attack on an elderly woman”.

Thomas Bednar killed his mother Judy Bednar.

A Melbourne man who broke into his elderly mother’s home and bashed her to death while she slept has been jailed for her “vicious” murder.

Thomas Bednar, 54, at the Supreme Court on Tuesday was sentenced to 29 years behind bars after he was found guilty of murdering his mother Judy Bednar, 78, at her Chelsea home.

In handing down his sentence, Justice Andrew Tinney said Bednar had shown a “heartless” and “extraordinary” disregard for his mother which was fuelled by a “strange” hatred.

“This was a planned and vicious attack on an elderly woman in her home where she had taken steps to protect herself from you,” he said.

“One can well imagine the terror your mother must have felt as you commenced your onslaught.”

The trial heard Bednar was consumed with “rage” towards his mother because he blamed her for having him involuntarily admitted to Frankston Hospital for mental health treatment.

Ms Bednar, who survived the Holocaust, was so concerned about her son’s deteriorating mental health that she wrote a letter to her local MP about eight months before her murder in May 2021, detailing how she feared for her life.

Holocaust survivor Judy Bednar was killed at her Chelsea home.

The letter included pictures of text messages from her son, who had bipolar, in which he called her a “bitch” and that it would not be long until “the sharks eat your flesh”.

Bednar also sent “paranoid” texts to friends including a threat to curse another family unless he received his inheritance.

Another read: “I’m sick of my mum making out as (if) I’m crazy”.

A family friend of both Bednars, Danny Cohen, told the trial he was forced to call triple-0 in when Bednar went to his mother’s home while she was inside and kicked in a window.

Thomas Bednar was fuelled by a ‘strange’ hatred of his mother.

Bednar stood trial for nearly two weeks but it took a 12-person jury less than four hours to dismiss his lies and find him guilty.

As Justice Tinney handed down his sentence, Bednar at times kept his arms crossed and stared down his former friend who was seated in the courtroom.

In the lead-up to the murder, Bednar was also recorded jumping his mother’s fence and tampering with her water main and on another occasion he rang her doorbell and verbally abused her through the flyscreen.

“You manifested your seemingly hate of her in the lead-up to the attack,” Justice Tinney said.

Before her death, Ms Bednar told friends she feared for her life and she had security cameras installed.

Bednar was consumed with ‘rage’.

He showed a ‘heartless’ and ‘extraordinary’ disregard for his mother.

Data from Ms Bednar’s Fitbit watch indicated she went to sleep before a burst of activity was detected around 4.50am on May 13.

Her son was captured on security footage wearing a hazmat suit, gloves and a backpack leaving his mother’s home less than two hours later.

Two days later, he was recorded returning to the home before leaving with a black garbage bag.

Justice Tinney noted Bednar likely returned to the scene to cover up evidence.

Later that day, Ms Bednar’s battered body was discovered lying face down in her bedroom during a welfare check after concerned friends contacted police because she had not been seen for a number of days.

She had suffered extensive injuries including severe facial and body bruising, a broken nose and fractured ribs.

Justice Tinney said it could not be determined exactly how Bednar killed his mother and he had shown no remorse for her murder.

At a pre-sentence hearing earlier this month, Bednar indicated he would appeal his conviction.

He must serve 23 years before he will be eligible for parole.