Stuart Kelly was targeted by bullies before his death

THE parents of Stuart Kelly have posted a heartbreaking message about the “painful” goodbye they had to make to their son.

THE father of Stuart Kelly has posted a heartbreaking message about his dead son, saying the “most painful goodbyes are the ones that are never said and never explained”.

Ralph Kelly posted the message online on Tuesday night, just over 24 hours after his 19-year-old son was found dead in his home on Sydney’s northern beaches.

Stuart is the younger brother of Thomas Kelly, who was killed in a coward-punch attack in Kings Cross in 2012.

In the post, Mr Kelly told of the anguish now confronting he and his wife Kathy.

“The most painful goodbyes are the ones that are never said and never explained,” he wrote, according to Fairfax Media.

The couple has not spoken publicly since this second tragedy. Messages of support and tributes to Stuart have been posted online for the family, but a family source told news.com.au the family would not comment and “wanted privacy at this time”.

Stuart was only 14 when older brother Thomas — who he called his “best friend” — was killed in a coward-punch attack in Kings Cross. A drunk Kieran Loveridge, who Thomas didn’t even know, punched him in the head and Thomas fell to the ground. He died in hospital two days later and Loveridge was later jailed for 10 years and two months.

In response to his death, the Kelly family began a foundation to lobby for stricter laws against drug and alcohol violence which eventually lead to the Baird Government’s lockout laws.

But the family had been targeted by some sections of the community, who saw them partly-responsible for earlier closing times in central Sydney and the death of Kings Cross as a nightspot.

Friends told The Daily TelegraphStuart Kelly had been the target of bullying and hate mail because of the laws.

Father Ralph Kelly with his son Stuart.

Stuart and Thomas Kelly. Source: The Project/YouTube

It was so bad he quit St Paul’s College early, but the bullying and hateful messages reportedly continued.

The Kelly family had been targeted by this sort of abuse before.

An unofficial memorial for Thomas and Daniel Christie, who was killed in separate one punch attack in Kings Cross, was desecrated twice earlier this year. In addition, they also were targeted by online trolls with the website of the Thomas Kelly Youth Foundation repeatedly hacked.

Stuart Kelly spoke at a gala dinner attended by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and NSW Premier Mike Baird to raise money for the Thomas Kelly Foundation last year. In the speech he spoke of his devastating loss.

“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,” he said.

“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.”

Anyone seeking emergency help with mental health issues or needing crisis support should contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.

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