A man who called himself the “Hand of Death” and aspired to be one of Australia’s most prolific serial killers has been jailed for 35 years for brutally murdering a homeless man.
Kevin James Pettiford appeared in the NSW Supreme Court on Wednesday after being found guilty of murder and attempted murder.
The jury determined he had killed homeless man Andrew Whyte Murray, 56, at Tweed Heads in the state’s far north in November 2019.
On Wednesday, Justice Hament Dhanji said it was a “brutal and senseless murder” that showed Pettiford’s “complete lack of humanity”.
He said Pettiford had acted on the “entirely abhorrent view that Mr Murray’s life was worth less” because he was sleeping rough.
The man had been “entirely defenceless” when the so-called Hand of Death grabbed a rock from a nearby seawall and repeatedly smashed it into his skull.
Five weeks later, the jury found Pettiford had slashed the throat of fellow inmate Nathan Mellows while in custody at Shortland Correctional Centre.
It was accepted during the trial that Pettiford had also killed homeless man David Collin, 53, on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast in 2019.
He told police that he killed by a “code” and preyed on homeless men because he believed no one cared about them.
“I love killing,” the court heard he told police.
Pettiford called his murders “art” and labelled himself the “Hand of Death”.
Justice Dhanji said Pettiford had admitted to a “long held desire to kill” and showed a “disregard for human life” by following through on his homicidal ideation.
“He did not display anything that could be described as remorse,” Justice Dhanji said.
Pettiford argued he had been mentally impaired at the time of the brutal acts, but the jurors found he was criminally responsible.
“It is clear in the jury’s verdicts that he knew what he was doing was wrong,” Justice Dhanji said.
“He could reason with an at least moderate degree of composure.”
He sentenced Pettiford to 35 years behind bars, backdated to when he was arrested in November 2019.
His jail term will expire on November 25, 2058, but he will be eligible for parole in 2045.
Pettiford sat slumped with his head downcast and twirled his beard in his fingers while the Supreme Court Justice described his vicious crimes.
He wore a green prison tracksuit and maintained a blank expression as he learnt his fate.
More to come
