Remembering Stuart Kelly’s legacy: His passionate speech about brother Thomas’ death

THE brother of Thomas Kelly, who died today at age 19, will be remembered for a passionate speech he made last year.

WHEN news broke today that Stuart Kelly, the brother of one-punch victim Thomas Kelly, had died at age 19 in his Sydney home, it was the second time in a year that his face had been splashed across the news.

Stuart was just 14 when Thomas, 18, died in 2012 after he was randomly punched by Kieren Loveridge as he walked with his girlfriend in Kings Cross. Thomas suffered a traumatic brain injury and died in St Vincent’s Hospital two days later.

Last September, Stuart relived every moment of that evening in an emotional speech to an audience of more than 700 people, including Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and NSW Premier Mike Baird, at a gala dinner to raise money for the Thomas Kelly Foundation.

Family and friends of Thomas Kelly, including his father Ralph (front left) and brother Stuart (centre) and mother Kathy (2nd from right) speak to the media as they leave court after the sentence appeal hearing for their son's killer Kieran Loveridge in 2014. Picture: Dean Lewins/AAP

His passionate plea to our leaders to do something about alcohol-related violence made headlines around the country, and he was praised for his incredible poise and composure.

The headmaster of The King’s School, Dr Tim Hawkes, released a statement last night informing students and families of Stuart’s passing. Stuart completed Year 12 at the school last year.

“It is with great sadness that I inform you of the death of an Old Boy of the School, Stuart Kelly (’15). This is the second great tragedy to affect the Kelly family,” Dr Hawkes said.

“The exact circumstances surrounding his death are not known, however, it is enough to know that we have lost a member of our community and therefore our thoughts and prayers go out to Kathy and Ralph Kelly and their daughter Madeleine.”

News.com.au has republished Stuart’s entire Take Kare gala dinner speech below:

“My name is Stuart Kelly, I’m Thomas’ younger brother. I was 14 years old when Thomas was brutally attacked without reason; resulting in him losing his life.

Tom was out with his friends, it was his first night out in Sydney. We were at home in Bowral, doing what many families do on a Saturday night — watching TV and getting ready for bed.

The phone rang at 10.25pm. Mum answered it but couldn’t comprehend what the person was telling her, so she passed the phone to dad. The voice on the end of the phone told him that they needed to come to St Vincent’s Hospital urgently.

Mum and dad told my sister, Madeline and I, that Tom had been in an altercation; they had to drive up to Sydney to be with him but probably would be back later during the night.

We had absolutely no idea about the extent of Tom’s injuries. The person from the hospital did not give any further information, except to firmly ask that we come straight to the hospital.

Maddie and I stayed at home. It was really late, so we went to bed. On Sunday morning, mum’s sister Carrie called, telling us that she was driving down to Bowral from Sydney to pick us both up. I felt really uneasy, I couldn’t understand why Carrie would be coming and not our parents.

Waiting at home I thought what might have happened to Tom. Never did I think or imagine that we might lose our brother.

I remember walking into the floor at St Vincent’s hospital, around midday on that Sunday — the floor was bustling with people. As we made our way to the lifts, I was trying to work out what was going on and why we were there. Madeleine had even brought up her school books with her to study as she was stressed about her upcoming HSC trial examinations.

Stuart Kelly with his father Ralph. Picture: Ralph Kelly/Facebook

“We took the lift to the fourth floor, where mum and dad met us. They took us into a small room, closing it … closing the door. I could tell by the look on their faces that something serious had happened. I thought this was really strange as we were not visiting Tom — nothing was making any sense to me.

Finally dad said to us, ‘Thomas has been badly hurt, the doctors want to explain it to the both of you’. I felt uneasy. We waited what seemed to be a very long time, but probably wasn’t. Two doctors came in with a social worker. We all sat down. I was feeling scared and anxious, and I was about to find out why.

‘Your brother Thomas is in a critical condition and will not survive’.

I was being told to prepare for his death. Those few words would change our lives forever. I don’t remember too much more of what they said. I was in shock and total disbelief. I heard those terrible words but was feeling that this could not be real, this could not be happening to Tom. I could not process this as our reality.

I look back at that moment: I was 14 years old, I was told by a stranger that my brother, my best friend, was going to die.

I’m now 17 — that was three years ago. However, I carry a deep scar that you cannot see. It’s always there, it never leaves. It’s just below the surface of your skin, and surfaces when you least expect it.

The last time that I had seen Tom alive was at a Wallabies game against Wales on the 23rd of June. We had so much fun, lots of banter between the two of us, laughing at the Welsh accents — trying to imitate them.

Ralph Kelly and Stuart Kelly.

“It was a great afternoon, but now it is a memory caught in time, a memory of my final time with Tom. It is a memory that we should have continued, to be joined by many more, as we grow up and grow old together.

Thomas never deserved to die that night, it was not meant to be his time. In fact, I believe now that it could and should have been avoided. Our family lost a son and a brother.

I ask all of you to look at me, I am but one person who has been affected by violence. It is a sentence that I have to carry for the rest of my life. My mother, father and sister now carry this sentence. Our relatives and friends, Tom’s friends, carry this sentence.

We are not alone, there are many many thousands of others who are directly affected by senseless violence every year. Today, I am preparing to complete Year 12 at the King’s School, with my HSC only weeks away. My graduation is this Friday.

I still remember sitting in the hall with my parents and Madeline, watching Tom graduate. Now it’s my turn. How will I feel when the headmaster shakes my hand?

I want to ask all of you in this room right now to think of your children, or the children of someone special that you may know. Would you want them to be here on this stage right now, making this speech? It’s time for change.

Action is needed through strong leadership from the NSW state government and the federal government. Action is needed by our friends and our families across all of our communities. Change to stop the growing epidemic of drug and alcohol abuse and misuse and to saying no to senseless violence.

Premier will you make this promise tonight? Australia is an alcoholic; we need to rethink the way we drink. Tonight your involvement and your voice can and will make a difference.”

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