Bobby Medcraft trial: Meet the four who killed young Burnie dad

After the verdict convicting four Tasmanians of the manslaughter of young dad Bobby Medcraft, sentencing submissions were made on their behalf. This is what we know about them.

Submissions have been made on behalf of the four Tasmanians convicted on Tuesday of the manslaughter of young Burnie dad Bobby William Medcraft.

Mr Medcraft died on the morning of March 29, 2020, after being struck to the leg with a sword wielded by Shorewell Park’s Cody Christopher Shane Sheehan, 34.

Sheehan and co-defendants Kelsey Maree Ford, 24, of Acton; Michael William Hanlon, 54, of Upper Burnie; and Lucas Shane Ford, 31, of Shorewell Park, were all found guilty of manslaughter after a five-week trial in the Launceston Supreme Court.

Sentencing submissions were made before Justice Robert Pearce on Wednesday.

This is what we learnt about the killers, who will be sentenced on December 5.

Bobby William Medcraft, 23, pictured with his young son. Picture: Facebook

CODY SHEEHAN

Sheehan is a 34-year-old father of four with a good working history, defence counsel Greg Richardson told the court. His children were aged 12–16 at the time of the offence.

Mr Richardson’s client was engaged when he was remanded in custody, but the relationship ended about three months later, he told the court.

He played an active role in the upbringing of his children, Mr Richardson said.

Sheehan attended Burnie High School and commenced his career at Harvest Moon. He was working in forestry at the time of his arrest.

Shorewell Park man Cody Christopher Shane Sheehan, 33. Picture: Facebook

Mr Richardson said Sheehan was especially close to his mother, who died in August last year. His client was unable to attend her funeral. His parents split when he was young.

He had minor, relevant convictions on his criminal history, but “nothing to suggest he is a person of violence”.

Mr Richardson submitted that Sheehan only brought the sword to the 4 Ritchie Ave, Downlands showdown because he believed Mr Medcraft himself was armed, due to earlier threats in the night.

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He said Justice Pearce could not be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that Mr Medcraft was already lying face down protecting his head in a garden bed when Sheehan struck the blow with the sword.

Sheehan gave evidence during the trial that Mr Medcraft ran from his left when he struck him to the leg.

Sheehan felt “remorse in the extreme,” Mr Richardson said.

He said Sheehan told him, “His (Bobby’s) son has to grow up without a father. I know what that feels like because I grew up without a father”.

LUCAS FORD

Ford is a 31-year-old single man who had full-time care of his 13-year-old son at the time of his arrest, defence counsel Kirsten Abercromby told the court.

He had a normal upbringing in a “nuclear family”, but for the fact he was horribly burnt as a child in a house fire, requiring hospitalisation for three to six months.

Ford left school in Year 10 to take up a sheet metal apprenticeship. He remained with the company after completion and has been told he has a job waiting for him upon release from custody.

Shorewell Park man Lucas Shane Ford, 31. Picture: Facebook

Ford has a good relationship with his parents, who separated in his late teens, and with the mother of his child.

Ms Abercromby said Ford’s threat to Mr Medcraft’s family, which made the messy dispute primarily between the pair, was made in a “lighthearted” manner.

She repeated Mr Richardson’s submission that Mr Medcraft was struck with the sword while standing, not stricken in the garden bed.

She said it was not possible to find beyond reasonable doubt that Ford was kicking Mr Medcraft while he was on the ground, notwithstanding blood spatters discovered on his shoe and cuff.

MICK HANLON

Hanlon is a 54-year-old father of two adult children, his defence counsel Paul Sullivan told the court.

His relationship with the pair is “strained”, such that he has no contact with one of them and by extension his young grandchild.

Hanlon was born in Launceston but grew up in Burnie, where his father was a Tasmania Police sergeant for many years.

He attended Marist Regional College to Year 10 and most recently worked as a welder at Coastal Engineering and Belting, where he had been employed about 15 years.

Upper Burnie man Michael William Hanlon, 54. Picture: Facebook

He was in a long-term relationship with Sarah King, who was called as a witness in the trial, but this ended in the months leading up to the trial.

Mr Sullivan said his client owned his own home and had only kept up with mortgage repayments by renting it out during his time in custody.

Mr Sullivan said his client acted as a “peacemaker” during the early stages of the dispute between the two groups and that others played a “greater role” on the night.

He submitted that although his client had seen the sheathed sword, “there is no suggestion he ever touched it, he wouldn’t know how much it weighed, what the blade made of, how sharp it was”.

There was further no evidence Hanlon knew the sword had been taken out of the vehicle by Sheehan. In fact, the sword blow could have occurred prior to Hanlon kicking Mr Medcraft, Mr Sullivan submitted.

KELSEY FORD

Kelsey Ford is a 24-year-old mother of two children aged four and three, defence counsel Fran McCracken told the court.

Her client was a full-time mother prior to her incarceration and it had been “very difficult for her to have regular contact with them” while she was remanded.

“They are growing and learning at a rapid rate, she’s been missing out on those formative years of development. It’s very hard for her to reconcile,” Ms McCracken said.

Ford worked in the “food services industry” after leaving school but before becoming a mother.

Acton woman Kelsey Maree Ford, 24. Picture: Facebook

This was essentially the first time she had had any police involvement, Ms McCracken said.

Ford was medicated for anxiety and had been assessed as having a very low IQ, such that she is eligible for NDIS support.

Ms McCracken said Ford and Mr Medcraft’s girlfriend were on “good terms” with each other prior to March 28–29, 2020.

“She specifically feels for her friend at the time Kalinda, the challenges she has and will face now being a single mum,” Ms McCracken said.

Her client was in a “different position” to her three co-defendants, Ms McCracken said. Not only is Ford a youthful offender for the purposes of sentencing, but she also never laid a finger on Mr Medcraft.