Men jailed until 2040s over grandfather’s ‘senseless’ murder

Two men who brutally murdered a ‘humble, genuine’ grandfather in a violent home invasion will both spend decades behind bars.

Two men who killed a much-loved grandfather in a violent Newcastle home invasion will remain behind bars until the 2040s over the “completely senseless” murder.

Justice Robert Hulme described Phillip Steele’s death as “unnecessary and brutal” as he sentenced Jeremy Garvey, 27, and Luke Jones, 26, over the 60-year-old’s murder in the NSW Supreme Court on Wednesday.

Steele, a cement renderer and small-time cannabis supplier, was killed in the early hours of December 17, 2018, at the Whitebridge home where he lived with brothers Gary and Trevor.

The day before, Garvey had made a comment to a friend about wanting to “do Phil’s” and needing cash, and in the afternoon he and Jones had attended Steele’s south Newcastle home, pretending to be police officers and making off with Steele’s wallet, containing $1000.

In the early hours, the two men returned to the house, this time joined by a 19-year-old “fledgling criminal” referred to by the pseudonym Fletcher.

Jeremy Garvey delivered the fatal blows to Phillip Steele. Credit: Supplied.

Garvey was also sentenced for dangerous driving causing death over an unrelated 2018 crash. Credit: NSW Police

En route to the house, Fletcher testified, Garvey told him they were going to steal drugs from “a bloke”, Justice Hulme said.

The three men tied black fabric around their heads — later described as “ninja masks” in a distressed triple-0 call placed by Steele’s brother Trevor — and broke in through a rear window, Garvey armed with a large machete.

Trevor saw the intruders and ran to the front of the house, screaming “Please don’t hurt me” and calling out to Steele, who woke up and ran into the hallway.

In the ensuing struggle, Steele was stabbed by Garvey 23 times, including a fatal wound to his upper right arm, and endured 28 blunt force injures caused by either a baseball bat or a fist.

“All this for $2000,” Steele was heard saying as he lay dying, Trevor trying to save his life with a tourniquet.

Justice Hulme found Garvey’s moral culpability for the crime was lessened by his deprived childhood, spent navigating the juvenile justice and foster care systems and marred by drug abuse that started when he was just eight.

“It explains, albeit incompletely, how he has ended up as he has,” the judge said.

Garvey was also convicted of dangerous driving causing death over a September 2018 crash that killed friend Keira Barrett, who was pregnant at the time.

The murder happened on Lonus Street, Whitebridge. Picture by Peter Lorimer.

Justice Hulme accepted a psychiatrist’s assessment that Jones had participated in the murder “motivated by his addiction to drugs at the time and the negative company he was keeping”, rather than a preformed desire to kill Steele.

The judge described Garvey’s prospect of rehabilitation as “bleak” and accepted Jones had “some prospects” if he could stop using drugs.

Justice Hulme said Steele’s loved ones had described him “as a man of honour and integrity”.

“He was humble, genuine, sincere and loyal,” he said.

“He wanted his daughters to be happy and his love and pride for them was unconditional.

“I gather he felt the same for his grandchildren and would have for the great grandchildren who were on the way.”

He sentenced Garvey to 29 years and three months prison with a non-parole period of 25 years and nine months.

Jones was handed 28 years and nine months with a non-parole period of 22 years and three months.

The sentences took into account Steele’s murder and related offences including theft and impersonating a police officer.

The judge noted Fletcher — who was earlier sentenced to 15 years prison with a non-parole period of 11 years and three months — had a number of different circumstances to the older men, including his assistance to the authorities, his age, lesser criminal history and genuine remorse.

Garvey will become eligible for parole in 2044 and Jones in 2041.