Ian Rosewall jailed over hammer murder of housemate in Launceston

He murdered his housemate with a hammer and then continued to collect the victim’s disability support payments. Now this Tasmanian killer has been sentenced.

Ian Rosewall has been sentenced to 22 years’ jail for murdering his housemate Tyson Clark-Robertson.

A Launceston man who admitted to the murder of his housemate in an interview with a forensic psychologist at Risdon prison will spend at least 12 and a half years in jail.

Ian Rosewall, 47, killed Tyson Timothy Clark-Robertson in July 2016 when he struck the 24-year-old at least four times in the back of the head with a hammer the pair had been using to put up new curtains.

Rosewall had only recently begun dating Renae Lorraine Donald, who had been in a relationship with Mr Clark-Robertson until shortly after the three of them moved into the same Mayfield home.

Tyson Clark-Robertson was murdered by his housemate. Picture: TASMANIA POLICE

The pair continued collecting Mr Clark-Robertson’s disability support payments and used his Facebook accounts to communicate with his relatives, including Mr Clark-Robertson’s father, Timothy Clark.

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Mr Clark-Robertson wasn’t reported missing until 10 months later, after his father became suspicious that the person communicating with him was not actually his son.

Rosewall still did not admit the murder until he was interviewed by the psychologist at Risdon in June last year.

By the time he changed his plea to guilty, the Crown had prepared for what Mr Ransom called a “complicated murder trial” that required Mr Clark-Robertson’s father to be briefed to give evidence.

Defence barrister Patrick O’Halloran said there were no mitigating factors relating to Rosewall’s health, but that he had shown a need for atonement and acceptance of his wrongdoing when he told the psychologist what he had done.

Justice Robert Pearce sentenced Rosewall to 22 years’ jail with a 12-and-a-half year non-parole period, in the Supreme Court in Launceston this morning.

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“His conduct after committing the murder substantially aggravates his crime and indicates a complete lack of remorse,” Justice Pearce said.

The judge said the attempt to cover up the murder was “callous and cruel” to Mr Clark-Robertson’s family and “added to the gross indignity” to which the deceased was subjected.

Rosewall didn’t call an ambulance after beating Mr Clark-Robertson because he was the subject of outstanding warrants and didn’t want to get in trouble.

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Instead, he moved Mr Clark-Robertson’s body into the garden shed before burying him in the backyard a week later.

Donald has pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact. She is yet to be sentenced.

The pair’s former housemate Robert William Broad was last year sentenced to a year in jail, wholly suspended, after a jury found him guilty of failing to report the killing.