He stabbed her 78 times and wants sympathy? This is why Tyrone Thompson should be locked up forever

Mackenzie Anderson’s murder shocked the country, now her killer Tyrone Thompson has pleaded guilty. If it’s a discount he’s hoping for on his jail sentence, let him have it. It should not matter, writes Josh Hanrahan.

Tyrone Thompson stabbed Mackenzie Anderson a total of 78 times.

78 times in 170 seconds.

Now, young Thompson wants some leniency.

Yesterday he pleaded guilty to murdering his ex-girlfriend in the NSW Supreme Court.

Mackenzie’s mother Tabitha Acret has bravely been campaigning for change ever since her daughter’s death and she put it so well on the phone to me yesterday, when she described Thompson’s guilty plea as “self-preservation”.

“I don’t think him pleading guilty shows a great deal of remorse,” Ms Acret said.

“To me, this was about self-preservation. I think it shows someone who realised the defence they were going with wasn’t going to work.”

Tyrone Thompson this week pleaded guilty in the NSW Supreme Court to the murder of Mackenzie Anderson.

Thompson stabbed Mackenzie a total of 78 times, with two knives, in just 170 seconds. Picture: Nine News

She told me how she assumed Thompson had pleaded guilty in the hope of getting a discount when he is sentenced in the coming months by Justice Richard Weinstein.

Let him have his discount.

It should not make any difference to what is to come for him.

I am all for giving people a chance, but Thompson has had more than his fair share.

At the time he killed Mackenzie he had just agreed to a new condition on the apprehended violence order NSW Police had taken out to protect her, which was meant to ensure he would not contact the young mum.

He had also only recently walked out of jail on parole for domestic violence offences.

But none of that stopped Thompson going to Mackenzie’s home and killing her on March 25, 2022.

The 21-year-old mother, with her whole life ahead of her, was killed in March 2022.

If all that was not horrific enough, in the three years since he has been tormenting her family and friends.

He has sacked multiple lawyers, ensuring delays to his court case at every turn.

This, Ms Acret told me hours after Thompson’s formal conviction by Justice Weinstein, has caused her, her family and friends, no end of additional trauma.

Mackenzie’s mother Tabitha Acret says her family has been put through additional trauma by Thompson’s delaying of legal proceedings. Picture: Sue Graham

They already know enough grim detail about how Mackenzie died.

There are some elements of the crime that have never been able to be published, but what is out there already would be hard enough for any family who have lost a loved one to have to read.

Yet, next week they were preparing to turn up to court to sit through Thompson’s trial, something they have been dreading.

“Even the poor jury would have had to see those photos and hear those things,” Ms Acret said.

If Thompson had hoped pleading guilty would allow him to get a discount on sentencing, let him have his discount, it should not matter.

Thompson should die in jail.

A life sentence remains a life sentence, no matter the discount.

Originally published as He stabbed her 78 times and wants sympathy? This is why Tyrone Thompson should be locked up forever