Expert standoff on Kevin James Pettiford’s mental state as Supreme Court trial for murder and attempted murder continues

Two opposing forensic psychiatrists have probed the mind of the Victorian man known as ‘the hand of death’ in a grapple to decide his mental culpability for the bludgeoning deaths of two homeless men and the alleged attempted murder of an inmate.

Left Professor David Greenberg and right Dr Jeremy O'Dea with opposite opinions on the mental impairment of murder accused Kevin James Pettiford.

The man known as “the hand of death” who the Crown alleges crushed in the heads of two homeless men with rocks and attempted to kill an inmate with a concealed blade hidden in his foreskin was experiencing a manic episode, the Supreme Court has heard.

Kevin James Pettiford, 38, slunk forward with his head between his knees as psychiatrist for the defence, Dr Jeremy O’Dea explained his conduct was not entirely his fault during an ongoing Supreme Court trial for murder and attempted murder where he has pleaded not guilty to all.

Pettiford stands accused of the bludgeoning death of Byron Bay man Andrew Murray in the Tweed, and the throat slashing of Cessnock inmate Nathan Mellows.

Kevin James Pettiford, faces murder, attempted murder and assault after admitting to police he killed two people and injured two others.

Pettiford has admitted to police that he killed Murray, 56, and Sunshine Coast man David Collin, 53, in 2019, both with rocks, as well as the other acts, the court heard.

Dr O’Dea said Pettiford’s conduct during his police interviews and overall conduct even in custody “is by diagnosis of a manic episode of bipolar affective disorder”.

The psychiatrist told the court he diagnosed Pettiford’s manic episode in March 2020 and categorised it by a “persistently elevated and irritable affect”.

He said Pettiford had “pressure of speech”, “grandiosity”, “paranoia”, “racing thoughts”, and ongoing problems with “angry, aggressive, violent urges and behaviours”.

Dr Jeremy O'Dea, forensic psychiatrist. Picture: 60 Minutes

“In Pettiford’s case while there was no clear psychotic aspect to his rationale for having these homicidal urges, they were associated with violence and homicide that he reported acting on and they were associated with his mood disorder.”

Dr O’Dea said he couldn’t dismiss that Pettiford could have some “underlying psychosis”.

Yet psychiatrist for the Crown, Professor David Greenberg said of Pettiford: “His killing of Collin, Murray, [alleged] attempted murder of Mellows and his attack on a Corrections officer are all features of his anti-social personality disorder and narcissism.

“Being the ‘Hand of Death’, someone special – that’s part of his narcissism and anti-social behaviour.”

Professor David Greenberg believes Pettiford does not have a mental impairment. Picture: Dylan Coker

Police scene of the death of Byron Bay homeless man David Murray at while he was sleeping at Jack Evans Boat Harbour, Tweed Heads, on November 21, 2019.

The court heard while Pettiford was on paroxetine, even in custody without the added alcohol the medication didn’t stop his urges to kill.

Although a “significant impairment” was present Dr O’Dea said Pettiford still knew the nature and quality of each of those acts.

“He knew he was attempting to murder both of them, he murdered one but not the other,” he told the court.

“Based on Pettiford’s problems at the time, his homicidal ideations were strong and by virtue of his emotional state at the time he was unable to control those.”

Dr O’Dea said Pettiford did not have the ability to “reason” with a “degree of sense and composure” about his conduct in relation to the act of killing being “wrong”.

The trial continues before Justice Hament Dhanji.

Originally published as Expert standoff on Kevin James Pettiford’s mental state as Supreme Court trial for murder and attempted murder continues