Woman speaks after father, Luke Simon, murdered fiance Damien Conlo in cold blood

A woman, whose father killed her soon-to-be husband in regional NSW just months before their wedding, has responded to the jail sentence given to her father.

EXCLUSIVE

A heartbroken regional New South Wales woman says she is “relieved” her father – who killed her husband-to-be in cold blood – will be behind bars for a minimum of 22 years after the lengthy jail sentence was handed down on Thursday.

Just months before Linda Simon was due to be married to her fiancee Damien Conlon, her father Luke “lured” her to his house in regional NSW in February 2023, executing him over a property dispute.

The court heard how Mr Simon told police he made Mr Conlon “get on his knees” and “confess” before shooting him in the head.

The couple were just months away from tying the knot. Picture: GoFundMe

The pair had two boys together, with Mr Conlon a “loving stepfather” to Ms Simon two other boys. Picture: Facebook

Speaking to news.com.au, Ms Simon said she was “happy that justice was served”.

“We have gotten closure for all of us,” she said.

Ms Simon and Mr Conlon, who was a tradie from Ireland, share two children together. Mr Conlon was also a “loving stepfather” to two boys from her previous relationship.

Ms Simon said she was now focused on supporting the children through their own grief and wanted to raise them to be “strong and empathetic men”.

Mr Simon was captured inside his laundry taking out his pistol two days before the murder. Picture: GoFundMe

Mr Simon was captured inside his laundry taking out his pistol two days before the murder. Picture: GoFundMe

“I am also really happy that my boys will be men before having to contemplate the possibility of having to face their father’s murderer,” she said.

Her 60-year-old father received a non-parole period of 22 years for the murder, meaning he will be first eligible for parole at age 82.

Ms Simon said she had been vindicated by the court’s determination that the murder had been premeditated.

Damian had moved from his home town in Sligo, Ireland to Bathurst and became an Australian citizen. Picture: Facebook

Mr Conlon has been described as a loving father and brother. Picture: GoFundMe

Handing down the sentence on Thursday morning, Judge Sarah McNaughton said it was clear Mr Simon had a “settled plan” and “intention” to kill Mr Conlon, as he was captured on CCTV footage getting his pistol out of the safe two days before the killing.

“ I have always suspected … by my father’s actions post-murdering Damien … that it may have been part of that plan, so I am relieved,” she said.

She also said her sister had been “disgusted” by their father’s actions.

“[She is also] happy to see him get the sentence he deserved,” she said.

Speaking to Irish broadcaster RTE, Damien’s parent’s Dermot and Ethel Conlon said their son “deserved” justice.

“I cried my eyes out with happiness when I heard the sentence,” Ethel said.

Dermot and Ethel Conlon. Picture: RTE

“We all miss him. The smiles, the laughing, the jokes he used to play on us. He was always a good worker around the town [Sligo].

“He had a great life in Australia until this happened. He will always be remembered by our family and friends.”

Murder over a granny flat

Court documents revealed how the relationship between the soon-to-be married couple and Mr Simon had “soured” in the months leading up to the murder over the building of a granny flat.

Mr Simon owned a home in Oberon, which he had inherited from his father, who died in October 2021.

However, Mr Simon was later served a document asking him to vacate the premises altogether for renovations to be made to the main house.

The court heard how on February 7, CCTV captured Mr Simon in the laundry area of his home, opening his gun safe and stating: “That’s the one that is going to put him to sleep. F**king Damien, you’re f**king gone.”

The court documents also told how Mr Simon told an IGA worker on February 8 that he had “found out” someone was stealing from him and “ripping him off”.

“I’ll get them,” he told the IGA worker, who was serving him at the deli.

On February 9, Mr Simon “lured” Mr Conlon to his house in Oberon by telling him that items at the home at been stolen before killing him.

Court documents state how Mr Simon told police he hadn’t originally planned to kill Mr Conlon, however, did so after he “smirked at him” during the confrontation.

“When I affronted him this morning, and I said to him, look you f**ker. I know you’re trying to do me over. I said I know a con when I see one, I’m not f**king stupid. And he smiled,” he told police after the murder.

“And I said what the f**k and I pulled out the firearm and pointed it at him and said say your prayers.”

Mr Simon taking the case out of the safe just two days before the murder. Picture: Supplied

The gun safe was kept in the laundry. Picture: Supplied

After killing Mr Conlon, Mr Simon sat on a trailer outside his home and called police.

While waiting, he told a passing neighbour that he had “just killed Damien”.

“I put two in his body and one in the head. I’ve called the cops and I have told them I am unarmed. Don’t worry mate, you’re in no danger. I have no intent to harm anyone else,” he told the neighbour.

“Sixty years of hard work by my old man and they wanted to just take it.

“I lured him here and when I opened the door I said “get on your knees and confess”. He confessed and I shot him.”

He pleaded guilty to the charge and given a head sentence of 31 years for the murder, with a non-parole period of 22 years.

Daughter asks judge to jail father

Ms Simon also made a victim impact statement to the court, telling the judge that her father could have faced him “like a man and have a conversation with him like a human being”.

In the statement, Ms Simon labelled her father’s actions as “senseless and violent”.

“Luke, I believe you are a coward,” she wrote.

“You only had one intention in mind when you lured him into your home and that was that Damien would not be alive after he entered your house.”

Mr Conlon arriving at the Oberon home just moments before his death. Picture: Supplied

He was killed by Mr Simon just moments later.

She said Mr Conlon’s injuries from the shooting were so catastrophic, the family was unable to have an open-casket funeral.

She urged the judge to “give us peace of mind that we do not have to live in fear of Luke walking the streets and having to see him.”

Tragically, the court heard on Thursday how Mr Conlon’s youngest son still asks Ms Simon: “Why is Daddy dead?”

Wedding plans dashed

The pair met on a dating app in 2019 after Mr Conlon moved to Australia from Ireland in 2011.

In an interview with the Irish Mirror, Ms Simon shared how the pair were set to get married at the end of 2023.

“We had deposits paid on the venue, the church and everything, but unfortunately that will never be,” she said.

“That is the hardest part, all the plans we had for the future and watching our children growing up without him. We just take it day by day now, that is all we can do.”

Ms Simon said one of her sons “still walks around the house looking for him”.

“There’s memories of happiness and joy when we remember the good times, but then it just hits you that that’s all gone now,” she said.

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