Violent killer out of prison

A TASMANIAN man who bashed and kicked a stranger to death before lighting his corpse on fire will walk free on Tuesday having been granted parole.

Neville Lindsay Whiting was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2012, but will be released halfway through his sentence after being deemed at “low risk of future violence”.

Whiting’s crime took place in Ravenswood on March 28, 2011 when he and two other people entered an argument with the victim, Scott Rock.

One of the parties, Sean Hudson, punched Mr Rock in the jaw so hard that he fell to the ground. Hudson started to walk away but Whiting proceeded to stomp and kick Mr Rock, whom he had never met, until the 43-year-old died from his injuries.

Whiting and Hudson took Mr Rock’s corpse to a forest and set it on fire.

The charred remains were not discovered until several days later on April 4.

The body was “extremely burned”, but forensic teams were able to identify Mr Rock through DNA testing.

Hudson was acquitted of murder but found guilty of being an accessory after the fact to murder.

The parole board said this was a “senseless” crime, especially given Whiting did not know Mr Rock and had no prior animosity that would explain his actions.

But the board said Whiting had shown “good engagement” with planning officers and a willingness to change.

Whiting had undertaken programs in custody to prevent a relapse into alcoholism, having previously struggled with alcohol abuse and being intoxicated at the time of the murder. Urine testing during his time in custody showed no drugs or alcohol in his system.

Whiting’s case notes describe him as a quiet inmate who is “polite and takes pride in his work” at the minimumsecurity O’Hara units.

“The applicant’s crime was senseless. It has resulted in the loss of the life and future potential of Mr Rock and ongoing hurt and distress to his loved ones,” the board noted.

“The applicant has, however, demonstrated that he has the intent and the capacity to change and become a compliant and industrious member of the community.”

Mr Rock was the father of six children: Jonathan, EbonyLee, Tenille, Jacob Mark, Mille Ruth and Levi James.

Whiting was granted parole on condition he wear an electronic monitoring device and make no contact with the registered victims. His parole is effective from April 5, 2022 to April 4, 2031, effectively until the end of his sentence.