Declan Laverty: As murder trial nears, knot in mum Samara Laverty’s stomach tightens

The mum of slain Darwin bottle shop employee Declan Laverty says she is terrified to witness the trial of her son’s alleged killer. Efforts are being made to fundraise to ensure loved ones can view the trial in person.

Samara Laverty travelled from Cairns to Darwin to hear the NT parliament debate her petition, signed by more than 26,000 people in the wake of her son's death. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

The mother of slain Darwin bottle shop worker Declan Laverty says she feels the knot in her stomach tightening as the murder trial of her son’s alleged killer draws ever nearer.

Mr Laverty was on-shift at BWS Airport Tavern Drive at Jingili on March 19, 2023 when he was allegedly stabbed to death by Keith Kerinauia, 19.

The lengthy trial has been set down for June.

Mr Laverty’s mum, Samara, said as the trial approaches, she is being buffeted by a whirlwind of emotions.

“I’m nervous, really, really nervous,” she told the NT News.

“Confronting and seeing the alleged offender in the room, watching and hearing about all of the elements of that night and the days after, it’s terrifying.”

Ms Laverty said she feels as though her life has been captured in amber, frozen in time.

“Declan’s case is quite complicated in that it is also undergoing an NT WorkSafe investigation,” she said.

Declan Laverty.

“Until those are done, we are not going to feel any resolution to start moving forward.

“We are sitting here waiting for June to come around.”

Ms Laverty revealed she is set to establish an annual memorial walk in honour of her Richmond Tigers-loving son, with the first walk to be held on March 17.

This year’s walk would raise funds to enable loved ones of Declan’s to afford to travel to Darwin for the trial.

“People have to get around their work schedules because no one factored a murder trial into their holiday schedule for the year,” she said.

Almost a thousand protesters turned out at Parliament House for Darwin's third rally against crime. Samara Laverty Pic: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

A core group of five or six are expected to travel to Darwin for the trial, including an aunt from New Zealand, Declan’s former partner, and his sisters.

Separate to the fledgling plans for the memorial walk, Darwin local Cerena Coyle, who has only a passing acquaintance with the Laverty family, has created a GoFundMe to also raise funds for transportation to and accommodation during the trial.

Samara Laverty travelled from Cairns to Darwin to hear the NT parliament debate her petition, signed by more than 26,000 people in the wake of her son's death. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

“She just reached out and did it out of the kindness of her own heart,” Ms Laverty said.

Ms Laverty said that, regardless of the trial’s outcome, she plans to keep up the pressure on the Northern Territory Government to get on top of its spiralling problem with crime.

“Declan’s death should never have happened but it did. It was a trigger point for people to say enough is enough,” she said.

“Declan was like everyone’s kid, just a kid at work. It had a massive impact.”

Her latest project she is working on is the creation and dissemination of a “knife-crime package”.

Samara Laverty speaks at the funeral of her son Declan Laverty. Picture: Brendan Radke

“I want to roll it out into schools and education places, maybe even jails and prisons,” she said.

“There are so many people who think it’s a game, ‘I’m going to carry a knife.’

“Well okay, what are you going to do with it? Are you aware what can happen legally, emotionally, physically if you use it?”

The fact that she has become the face of the Territory’s crime woes is of no satisfaction to her.

“It wasn’t by choice,” Ms Laverty said.

“Declan was cremated and he’s on my sideboard. I talk to Declan all the time. I tell him about all the things I’ve done in the last 10 months that I never ever dreamt I would be doing.”