One-hit killer Kieran Loveridge was seen enjoying a Saturday morning with a woman believed to be his girlfriend and two young children after being recently released from prison after a decade behind bars.
Loveridge, 30, was paroled from Broken Hill Prison two weeks ago after being jailed when he fatally struck Thomas Kelly, 18, with a single punch in Sydney’s Kings Cross in July 2012.
The attack prompted the New South Wales government to introduce strict mandatory sentencing laws for drunken violence and controversial lockout laws, which forced nightclubs and bars to refuse entry after 1.30am. .
But apart from a visible ankle monitor, those days already seemed long gone for Loveridge when he was seen leaving a hair salon with a white plastic bag and strolling down the street alongside the dark-haired woman, who was pushing a stroller, with children, it was believed. be members of the family.
One-hit killer Kieran Loveridge (left) has been seen enjoying a Saturday morning with a woman believed to be his girlfriend (right) and two young children after being recently released from prison following a decade in prison.
At one point he was seen walking alongside one of the young children, believed to be a family member, who was wearing a pink jacket.
Loveridge when he was seen leaving a hair salon carrying a white plastic bag and talking to a bearded man with heavily tattooed legs.
Aside from a visible ankle monitor, Loveridge’s prison days seemed to be behind him.
At one point he was also seen stopping to talk to a bearded man with heavily tattooed legs and then walking alongside one of the small children, who was wearing a pink jacket.
A witness observed that the children were happy to see him.
It is understood Loveridge has been looking for work since returning to society.
Following his release, Loveridge recently told the Daily Telegraph that he was just a boy who “messed up” by hitting Thomas and never intended to kill him.
‘I was 18 and still at school when it happened. “I wasn’t off the rails, I just went out and made a mistake,” she said.
“I went out that night and unfortunately I made a mistake, and I woke up saying, ‘Too far away, I’m going to go to jail.'”
He said he was “extremely remorseful” for his crime, something Thomas’s parents do not believe.
‘They were present in court when I asked for their forgiveness. “I’m not sure what else I can do,” Loveridge said.
Loveridge, 30, was paroled from Broken Hill prison two weeks ago after being jailed when he fatally hit 18-year-old Thomas Kelly (pictured) with a single punch in Sydney’s Kings Cross in July 2012.
Loveridge (pictured in the New South Wales Supreme Court in 2013), who assaulted four other people on the night he killed Thomas Kelly, was initially given a sentence of just four years, but on appeal the sentence was raised to a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of 13 years and eight months
Loveridge also said he now aims to educate young people about the dangers of alcohol and violence.
Loveridge, who attacked four other people on the night he killed Thomas Kelly, was initially given a sentence of just four years, but on appeal the sentence was raised to a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of 13 years and eight months.
Kelly’s parents, Kathy and Ralph, initially supported Loveridge’s parole, but during a recent interview with ABC’s 7:30 show, they said they did so based “on a bunch of lies” after learning of incidents involving Loveridge inside prison, and that he had shown no remorse.
At his April parole hearing, they learned that Loveridge had been repeatedly violent during his years in prison, assaulting several people and punching a bicyclist in the face.
In the most recent incident, just weeks before his parole hearing, Loveridge was drunk and violent toward correctional officers.
“It’s hard to believe that the State Parole Authority thinks he won’t pose a risk to the community, or a low risk as they say,” Mr Kelly said.
“Considering that he had an outburst on February 27, it shows that he is still the same person he was 12 years ago.”
Mrs Kelly said Loveridge “was drunk in prison and was aggravated”.
‘We have been talking for a month and a half… and we were not aware of it when we presented the petition saying that we support parole. As far as we were concerned, we were doing the right thing.’
Kelly’s parents, Kathy and Ralph, initially supported Loveridge’s parole, but during a recent interview with ABC’s 7:30 show, they said they did so based on “a bunch of lies.”
He said they only learned the extent of Loveridge’s behavior in prison at the parole hearing “when the judge was basically summarizing everything.”
“It was disgusting,” Kelly said.
“It was just appalling that they kept us in the dark about that, because we actually made our case and supported parole with a bunch of lies.
“If we had known, we definitely would not have supported it.”
Kelly believes “it’s only a matter of time” before Loveridge commits more crimes once he is granted parole.
After losing Thomas in the violent incident involving Loveridge, the Kellys lost their second son. Stuart, also 18, committed suicide four years later.
His death followed an alleged assault at St Paul’s College at the University of Sydney just days after speaking out about his brother’s death.