Security guard jailed for manslaughter during eviction
A drug debt collector filmed himself digging graves and standing over the bloody body of a man he killed with his “bare hands”, a court has heard.
A security guard turned drug debt enforcer filmed himself digging graves and standing over the bloody body of a man he killed with his “bare hands”, a court has heard.
Terence Tiumalu, 31, faced the Supreme Court of Victoria on Tuesday, where he was jailed for seven years and six months over the manslaughter of Brendon Farrell, 33.
Mr Farrell had been renting the rear bungalow of a Doveton property, in Melbourne’s southeast, before tensions began boiling over with his landlord Richard Jackson, 49.
The court heard Jackson enlisted Tiumalu to evict Mr Farrell from the property on May 31, 2021.
Tiumalu, a security guard who had begun collecting drug debts for associates when work dried up during Covid-19, contacted a friend to provide extra muscle, texting him they were going to “tell a s*** c*** he’s being evicted haha”.
At the property on Kidds Rd, Tiumalu lost his temper, slapping Mr Farrell and pulling him down by his collar.
He then punched him twice in the face, telling Jackson, who was outside at the time, he had “done some redecorating and there was blood everywhere”.
Tiumalu then loaded Mr Farrell, who was snoring loudly and quivering, into the rear footwell of his car and drove off.
Mr Farrell’s body was found five weeks later, wrapped in a blanket and shoved into a canoe at a property in Noble Park.
On Tiumalu’s phone, police found videos showing him digging two graves and standing over Mr Farrell, who was motionless and bloody.
He was initially charged with murder, but pleaded guilty when this was downgraded to manslaughter.
Sentencing Tiumalu, Judge John Champion found Mr Farrell remained alive for an unknown period of time while Tiumalu drove the vehicle around for several days after.
“You could have given him a chance by the simple act of dropping him at a hospital,” he said.
“Your failure to ensure he received help was reprehensible and deserves condemnation.”
He found there was no evidence Tiumalu had intended to assault or kill Mr Farrell, but had “spontaneously” lost his temper while doing a favour for a friend.
The court heard Mr Farrell’s mother, Valery Hellyer, and his sister, Simone Hellyer, had provided victim impact statements to the court.
His mother said receiving the news was the “worst month in her life” and that she found it hard to understand why no one cared enough about her son to get help when he was injured.
“She finds it hard to forgive those who could have tried to help, but didn’t,” Justice Champion said.
Mr Farrell’s sister described her brother as her best friend, mental safety net and protector.
“Ms Hellyer stated what should be happy milestones have now become an emotional rollercoaster,” Justice Champion said.
“She was unable to hold his hand or say goodbye at the funeral … and remains haunted by the smell.”
Tiumalu experienced a traumatic childhood in New Zealand, the court heard, and had mental health issues and an escalating pattern of drug use before the offending.
“Not a day passes where he does not question his decisions or actions,” Defence barrister John Desmond submitted.
“He wishes he could turn back time.”
Justice Champion said Tiumalu’s actions after assaulting Mr Farrell were “cruel”.
“You killed a man with your bare hands and tried to hide the crime,” he said.
“You wanted to make his body disappear.”
Taking into account 634 days of pre-sentence detention, Tiumalu will be eligible for parole in 2026.
His co-offender, Richard Jackson, was sentenced to an 18-month community corrections order in August 2022 after pleading guilty to a charge of common law assault.