The man convicted of the 2012 one-punch murder of 18-year-old Thomas Kelly in Sydney’s Kings Cross has been released from prison.
Kieran Loveridge was released from Broken Hill prison in far western New South Wales late on Friday following a decision by the State Parole Authority (SPA) earlier this month.
He was released even though Mr Kelly’s parents, Kathy and Ralph, said they were unaware of Loveridge’s violent outbursts in prison before giving their blessing for his parole.
They told ABC’s 7.30 program on Wednesday night that they supported the killer’s release based “on a pack of lies” and said Loveridge had shown no remorse.
At his parole hearing, they learned that he had been repeatedly violent during his years in prison, assaulting several people and punching a cyclist in the face.
Thomas Kelly (pictured) was killed in a “cowardly and unprovoked” attack in July 2012.
The now 30-year-old man killed Mr Kelly in a “cowardly and unprovoked” attack in July 2012, and on April 4 Judge Geoffrey Bellew said the SPA was “satisfied” he was of interest to the community free Loveridge.
In the most recent example of Loveridge’s behavior in prison, just weeks before his parole hearing, he was drunk and violent toward prison officials.
“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,” Ralph 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.”
Kathy 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.”
He said they only learned the extent of Loveridge’s violence in prison at the parole hearing “when the judge was basically summarizing everything.”
“It was disgusting,” Kelly said.
“It was just appalling that we were kept in the dark about it, 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 now that he has been freed.
“They can’t watch him 24 hours a day, he will drink, become violent and reoffend,” he said.
“There is no doubt that when you touch alcohol, violence, irritation comes to light, violence comes to light and it is uncontrollable.”
Kathy Kelly doesn’t believe Loveridge regrets killing her son.
‘Of course not… of course, you haven’t been able to contact us, I understand. But there are ways to reach out to the family and show them that you are sorry.
“There has never been an apology for what he did. I don’t think there has been any type of remorse.
Ralph Kelly agreed, saying, “We know he has no regrets about killing Thomas.”
‘We received a note of apology the day before the Supreme Court (case in which Loveridge was convicted).
‘It was not written by him. It was written by someone in the legal profession and there was a scribble at the bottom, which gave you a 25 percent (time) discount right there for putting his autograph on the letter.
Kieran Loveridge (left) was released from prison on Friday after the New South Wales State Parole Authority found there would be a “substantially increased risk” if he were released later.
Thomas Kelly’s brother Stuart (pictured centre) made a heartbreaking statement outside court.
Kelly said most people don’t realize “that prisoners have access to (illegally) producing alcohol and various things that are not allowed in prison.”
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.
When Loveridge was convicted, Thomas’ younger brother Stuart made a heartbreaking statement outside court.
‘I don’t have an older brother anymore. Instead, I have a hole in my life that I must somehow accept and accept,” he said.
Stuart Kelly later took his own life.
“We lost our beautiful son… four years later, our other son, Stuart, took his life as a result of the loss of his older brother,” Kelly said after Loveridge’s parole hearing.
‘He was only 14 when Tom was murdered… our family may never find forgiveness for Mr Loveridge.
“We continue to cry every day for our two children… they have given us a double life sentence.”
NSW Prisons Minister Anoulack Chanthivong told WhatsNew2Day Australia that the families of “victims” should be strongly supported during the parole process.
“Understandably, the potential release of an offender can be very distressing for the victim’s family.”
Chanthivong said acting prisons commissioner Leon Taylor had “reached out to the Kelly family to apologize for the distress caused by their experience”.
Ralph Kelly and his wife Kathy leave Central Local Court after Kieran Loveridge formally pleaded guilty to one count of the manslaughter of his son Thomas Kelly in Sydney, Tuesday June 18, 2013.
He said Taylor had also offered a meeting to discuss what changes could be made to help avoid similar concerns for other crime victims.
“Releasing an inmate on parole provides the opportunity to ensure that he or she reintegrates into society under supervision,” Mr Chanthivong said.
“Releasing them at the end of their sentence does not provide the same ability to track.”
He added that in Loveridge’s case, the SPA has imposed strict requirements “including electronic monitoring, geographic restrictions and drug and breath testing to monitor any use of illicit substances and/or alcohol.”
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