Man gets jail on stab death Judge hits Liddy’s ‘ limited remorse’
A JUDGE has found that despite his “protestations” in court, convicted killer Patrick Michael Liddy showed limited remorse for stabbing a man to death and sentenced him to more than nine years in jail.
Liddy, 29, was yesterday sentenced in the Supreme Court in Townsville to nine years and six months in prison for killing Allan Raymond Ward, 32, at a drinking session in Charters Towers.
Liddy will be eligible for parole after serving half of that sentence. As he had already been in jail since November 19, 2015 – the day Mr Ward died – he will be eligible to apply for parole on August 19, 2020.
Liddy was found not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter on Monday following a week- long trial.
Defence barrister Frank Richards told the court Liddy made an offer to the Department of Public Prosecutions to plead guilty to manslaughter in June, but that was rejected.
“He saw a p h o t o g r a p h of Mr Ward and his son in the media just this week. He says he had not realised that Mr Ward had children and the thought that he has taken away their father keeps going through his head and keeps him awake at night,” he said.
Crown prosecutor Nathan Crane said the offer to plead to manslaughter was not evidence of remorse. He said Liddy tried to use the defences of accident and self- defence, which would have led to acquittal.
He said by convicting Liddy of manslaughter, the jury must have believed he was too intoxicated to form intent to kill or cause grievous bodily harm.
Justice David North found Liddy had “limited remorse”.
“You, in evidence, tried to blame the fight on Ward … You didn’t stay at the house to offer assistance,” he said.
Liddy and Mr Ward were drinking at a Charters Towers unit late on November 18, 2015.
There was a disagreement about Liddy’s phone, which was being used to play music.
Justice North said Mr Ward tapped Liddy on the shoulder, who turned around and struck Mr Ward. A fight ensued, and the men fell to the ground.
Justice North made the finding, contrary to what Liddy told the jury, that Liddy walked from the carport to the kitchen to retrieve a knife. Liddy returned to the carport and stabbed Mr Ward three times.
“A significant amount of force would have been required to drive the knife into the abdomen and embed the blade into the vertebrae,” Justice North said.
Mr Crane tendered victim impact statements written by Mr Ward’s family members.
“Allan Ward was a man of promise. He had enlisted in the army, had served his country for five years, he was a qualified electrician, a loving father,” he said.