Andrew Walsh was the victim of an “evil crime”.Credit: Nine News
Walsh’s mother read from a victim impact statement, telling Bowskill her son had been far too trusting of people he thought were his friends but who killed him in extremely terrifying circumstances.
“We found out the vile and inhumane way he was murdered and his body disposed of,” she said.
“We only recovered from the coroner a bag of skeletal material that was unrecognisable.”
Searston’s barrister, Anna Cappellano, said her client had hit “rock bottom” in the months before he killed Walsh due to his heavy drug use.
“In his words, he ‘just didn’t care any more about anyone or anything’,” she said.
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De Klerk’s barrister, David Funch, said his client had been a talented baseball player who became involved in drugs while on a sports scholarship in the US.
“There is evidence to suggest my client was the lesser involved [in the murder],” Funch said.
Bowskill said the murder was despicable and the treatment of Walsh’s body disrespectful.
“That was a cruel and violent assault on this man, lasting for a considerable amount of time, involving stabbing with knives,” she said.
“One of the most disturbing aspects was the phone call you made in 2022 in which you were laughing about what happened … it was chilling.”
The defendants were sentenced to life imprisonment, with Searston to serve 20 years and De Klerk 22 years before being eligible for parole.
As a South African citizen, De Klerk faces a mandatory deportation process upon release.
AAP
