Jabberwocky
Frumious Bandersnatch
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Lance Rhodes sentenced to at least 30 years in jail for murder of his mum and nephew
A SYDNEY man who slaughtered his mother and nephew in a drug-induced psychosis and then said “die ... I don’t care” has been sentenced to at least 30 years in jail.
Lance Rhodes, 36, chased his mother Linda Adams outside her Lalor Park home in September 2015, stabbed her and repeatedly hit her with a 28kg statue before killing his nephew Brayden Rhodes, aged seven, who screamed “please don’t hurt me”.
Rhodes hung his head throughout the judgment in the NSW Supreme Court today.
“I’m satisfied this is grave offending,” Justice Stephen Campbell said when handing down a maximum sentence of 40 years’ jail.
“Brayden Rhodes would have known the offender was intending to kill (them) and like Linda (they) would have been terrified in their final moments of life.”
After attacking his 63-year-old mother, Rhodes returned inside where he told Brayden and another child who had tried to hide: “If you move, talk or speak, I’m going to stab you with this knife.”
Rhodes then grabbed and stabbed Brayden with a two-pronged knife amid his pleading in a high-pitched voice not to be hurt.
After Rhodes repeatedly slammed the child’s head against a wall he picked up a large piece of sandstone and using both hands, struck him/her repeatedly, causing extensive head injuries.
“Die, just f***ing die, I don’t care,” the court heard he said.
After his death, Brayden’s heartbroken grandfather Gregory Orchard gave The Daily Telegraph written permission to identify him.
Rhodes pleaded guilty to the murders in a local court after telling police he couldn’t remember anything and was “insane”.
He said he had consumed cannabis and ice, which he had been taking for about nine months, on the day of the attack.
Justice Campbell said the crime wouldn’t have occurred without the psychosis which was induced by a cocktail of drugs.
Brayden’s body was found near a tree on the property, while Ms Adam’s body was found face up about two metres from the door of her neighbours’ home. She had tried to seek refuge.
Rhodes will be eligible for parole in September 2045.
“No matter how long the sentence is, it will not bring back two beautiful people we have lost,” Ms Adams’ daughter said after the sentence.
Source: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/ne...w/news-story/244cd9847c24991b58d963ac4f7b2459
