Supreme Court releases CCTV footage of horrific altercation between Luke Sweetman and killer Mathew Hawkins

The lead-up to the moment a cowardly, drugged-up thug kills an innocent, beloved son and brother with one punch has been revealed in disturbing CCTV.

Harrowing CCTV footage has been released showing a drugged-up thug delivering a single, fatal punch to the head of a beloved son and brother outside a Taperoo pub.

Mathew Paul Hawkins, 29, had a “cocktail” of drugs inside his system – including cocaine, cannabis, alcohol and painkillers – when he “suddenly and violently” confronted IT specialist Luke Sweetman.

Mr Sweetman, 35, of Panorama, had been invited to the Peninsula Hotel Motel on August 9, 2024, by his best friend to listen to Australian band KissJovi perform live.

CCTV shows the pair laughing and smiling while talking to bar staff just after midnight on August 10.

About five minutes later, it then shows an altercation between Mr Sweetman and Hawkins in the hotel lobby, and Hawkins’ father restraining his son outside the pub.

Moments after, Hawkins knocks Mr Sweetman to the carpark bitumen with one punch.

Hawkins, of Exeter, can then be seen “fleeing” the scene.

Two weeks later, Mr Sweetman was pronounced dead after succumbing to “catastrophic” brain injuries.

Mathew Hawkins, in the red checked shirt. Picture: Supreme Court

Luke Sweetman (left) is confronted by Hawkins as he’s restrained by his dad (centre). Picture: Supreme Court

Hawkins “broke away” from his dad’s restraint and approached Mr Sweetman who was “minding his own business. Picture: Supreme Court

Seconds after this moment, Hawkins delivered the fatal blow. Picture: Supreme Court

“In this case, the single fatal punch was – without any dispute – delivered without any immediate provocation or threat posed by the victim, who was literally standing around near the entrance to the hotel,” prosecutor Kos Lesses told the court.

Inside a packed courtroom on Tuesday, 12 victim impact statements were read aloud in front Justice Laura Stein – one by Mr Sweetman’s grandma who wrote how much she “missed my grandson”.

“I’m in my 80s and I’ve spent the majority of my life surrounded by a loving family, but nothing in all my years could prepare me for the unimaginable pain of losing my grandson in such a brutal and senseless manner,” Daphne Reid wrote.

Family of Mr Sweetman gather outside court on Tuesday. Picture: Dean Martin

Mr Sweetman’s mother Marion (front) said she hopes Hawkins will be jailed for 50 years. Picture: Dean Martin

“Luke was more than just a grandson to me; he was my joy, my pride and my heart. He was a bright, kind soul with a deep love for life. He always had time for his grandmother and we shared so many precious times together.

“The violence that ended Luke’s life has shaken me to my core – the senselessness of it makes it even harder to grasp.”

On Tuesday, Mr Sweetman’s mother outside court said her son’s killer deserved a 50-year jail term as she struggled to hold back tears.

Defence barrister Jane Abbey KC, for Hawkins, said her client now struggled with feelings of guilt and often “felt haunted” by Mr Sweetman’s presence.

“He often feels or has the sense that as he sits there that the man is there and watching him and that is, in a sense, he is haunted by his … own terrible actions on that night,” Ms Abbey said.

“It’s a sense of guilt, which does not leave him ever.”

Hawkins, who told the Sweetman family he was “deeply sorry”, will return to court later this month for sentencing.

Originally published as Supreme Court releases CCTV footage of horrific altercation between Luke Sweetman and killer Mathew Hawkins