Notorious one-punch killer punished for heroin use while on parole

Updated June 3, 2026 — 12:22pm,first published June 2, 2026 — 7:50pm

Infamous one-punch killer Kieran Loveridge has admitted in court to possessing heroin, having told police he used “everything” when they discovered the drug at his home.

At Mount Druitt Local Court on Wednesday, the 32-year-old stood up during his first appearance on the case, pleaded guilty to and was convicted of possessing heroin.

The admission related to a charge laid weeks before a court rejected extended state monitoring, despite concerns about potential violent re-offending while affected by drugs or alcohol.

Loveridge 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.

Asked by journalists outside court if he was clean from drugs, he replied: “Yes.”

According to facts tendered to court, officers from the NSW Police Raptor Squad found a small resealable bag of heroin near his bedside table while carrying out a weapons compliance check at his Glendenning home on April 17.

Loveridge, whose mother and sister were there at the time, initially “denied any knowledge of the item”, but later told police he used drugs and consumed “everything”.

He was sentenced to a six-month community correction order with conditions including not committing further offences and continuing Buprenorphine treatment to help fight his addiction.

Wednesday’s conviction followed an April court-ordered apprehended domestic violence order (ADVO) over an incident involving his partner while he was in the throes of heavy drug use.

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

As the end of parole approached, 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.

Despite court records revealing he was charged with heroin possession on April 17, the charge was not referenced during a May 15 hearing to determine whether he needed supervision. It was, however, noted that he continued to struggle with drug addiction.

Three days before this hearing, Loveridge entered a drug detox facility at Nepean Hospital, intending to start long-term reside