Notorious one-punch killer hit with new drug charge

Infamous one-punch killer Kieran Loveridge has been charged with drug possession after a court rejected extended state monitoring, days after he entered a detox facility.

The 32-year-old spent more than a decade behind bars for the 2012 killing of 18-year-old Thomas Kelly in Kings Cross while highly intoxicated.

The tragedy sparked Sydney’s lockout laws and prompted mandatory sentencing for alcohol-fuelled killings.

This follows an April court-ordered apprehended domestic violence order (ADVO) which bans him from threatening or harassing his partner, though he can still see her.

Loveridge was granted parole two years ago, which expired in May, ending his 13-year, eight-month sentence and all supervision.

NSW sought a two-year Extended Supervision Order (ESO) to continue monitoring, citing a drug relapse and risk assessment report which considered him at “high risk” of violent reoffending.

An ESO subjects high-risk offenders to community surveillance and rehabilitation for up to five years for public protection, with the severity and number of conditions varying.

Three days before his preliminary ESO hearing in May, Loveridge entered a drug detox facility at Nepean Hospital, intending to start long-term residential rehab. The court heard his prospects were uncertain.

His lawyers opposed the ESO, noting the time since Thomas’ death, Loveridge’s lack of physical violence convictions since a 2018 prison incident, and his post-release family responsibilities.

Justice Natalie Adams dismissed the application, ruling that while Loveridge was at risk of further violence, it did not meet the legal threshold of a “serious violence offence” required for supervision.

“Mr Loveridge had a very promising start to adjusting to life in the community after being incarcerated from the age of 18 to 30, but he then lapsed into drug use, which is a significant risk factor for further offending,” the NSW Supreme Court judgment read.

“Despite this, the index offence occurred 14 years ago, and he has committed no serious violence offences since that date.”

Thomas’ parents, Kathy and Ralph Kelly, previously told the State Parole Authority they hoped their son’s killer would “live a lawful life”, and expressed concern that he was drunk and violent in prison.

Loveridge’s life beyond bars began well, his psychiatrist noted. He abstained from alcohol, worked as a painter full-time and took part in the Violent Offender Treatment Program (VOTP).

However, he turned to drugs when his employer’s business folded and his first child was born, triggering psychological stress – i