Mum’s emotional tribute to slain son
‘He was only doing his job, and for that he never gets to come home’
THE mother of Declan Laverty has brought her son’s inspiring humanity back into the narrative the day before his funeral and as protesters call for justice reform in response to his devastating alleged murder.
Mr Laverty, 20, was killed while working at a Darwin bottle shop after allegedly refusing service to a customer.
Keith Kerinauia, 19, faced the Darwin Local Court last Tuesday charged with the 20year-old bottle shop attendant’s murder as well as aggravated robbery and breach of bail.
Mr Laverty’s death prompted a review of Northern Territory police powers and bail laws, and more than 2000 people marched on the territory’s Parliament House on Saturday, but Bentley Park woman Samara Laverty is fighting to have her son remembered as more than “a (allegled) murder victim”.
Mr Laverty’s kindly soul was evident from the first reports of the tragedy.
In the last moment of his life, he reached to his phone and messaged both his parents that he loved them.
“While I recognise this incident has been a catalyst and caused a lot of anger and upset, and his legacy will result in change, he’s still a person; he’s still my son,” Ms Laverty said.
“He’s a nephew, he’s a brother and he’s a grandson. He’s a person. All of this comes before him being a (alleged) ‘murder victim’.
“He was born in Cairns. For a long time it was just him, his sister Bridget and myself, we were a little trio.”
Ms Laverty said her son’s attachment to Cairns defined who he was as a person.
She described him as a brilliant footballer from the age of five as well as an avid Cairns Taipans fan. “He loved the Taipans. It was our thing – both kids would go get nachos and watch the game,” she said.
“One time he was picked for the halftime game. It was hilarious because the shirt they gave him was stuck together, and in front of the entire crowd he couldn’t get it on and he looked ridiculous. But he came close to hitting the basket.
“I graduated from university in December and he came home for that. But the one thing he wanted to do is go to the basketball and get some nachos.”
Ms Laverty graduated university with a bachelors degree in December but said it was her son’s support that got her over the line.
“I nearly fell apart a few times. Declan was the one who kept me on track. He’d say ‘you can’t give up, you’ve got to keep going because you’ve come too far now’,” she said.
“The one thing I wanted was him to come home for my graduation, and I’m glad he did. I’ve got texts from him saying ‘I’m so proud of you’.”
Ms Laverty said in the six months prior to her son’s death, she noticed how quickly he was growing from a boy who engaged in the typical sibling squabbles with his sister, Bridget, to a man of maturity.
“As siblings they fought, but they were there for each other,” she said.
“They talked more as siblings after he went to Darwin than they did when he lived here.
“Probably the last six months, he really just started coming into his own.
“When he moved into his own unit and his first house inspection, he rang me to apologise for not giving me more credit and understanding when I was yelling at them to clean the house before we had house inspections. He called me and said ‘I get it now’.”
Ms Laverty was still glad her son’s death had inspired calls for reform and hoped genuine change could be achieved.
“I feel absolutely amazed and overwhelmed by the amount of compassion that’s been shown to Bridget and I,” she said.
“We’ve had hundreds of messages, but I think that’s partly because it’s so relatable. It could have been anyone’s kid going to work.
“He was only doing his job, and for that he never gets to come home. It’s heartbreaking that it’s had to take this to get anyone to notice, but it’s bringing people together. Hopefully this will instigate change.”
His funeral is scheduled for 1.30pm on Friday at Heritage Brady in Gordonvale.