EXCLUSIVE Twist after 'completely evil' killer who served 19 years behind bars after strangling his ex-girlfriend in a jealous rage is charged with assaulting a SECOND woman in a hotel room
William Harold Matheson, 42, was arrested on Friday morning at a home in Randwick, in Sydney 's east, after allegedly assaulting a 38-year-old woman in a Leichardt hotel room on May 17.
The convicted killer will remain in custody after being charged with sexual assault without consent and sexually touching another person without consent.
He had been on parole for just over two years when the alleged assault occurred, after serving 19 years in jail for the murder of 18-year-old Lyndsay van Blanken.
He was released from jail May 2023 with six years remaining on his sentence after the State Parole Authority accepted he was at a 'low risk' of reoffending.
Lyndsay's family opposed Matheson's release, with her mother Cynthia van Blanken warning the 'monster' still remained a danger to the public.
'If they let him out next week, they will be responsible for what happens and it won't be good,' she told A Current Affair at the time.
In November 2003, Matheson strangled Lyndsay, his ex-girlfriend, to death with zip ties before he stuffed her body into a cricket bag.
Her body was discovered six weeks later in the garage of a Coogee apartment after residents reported a foul odour emanating from within the complex.
Matheson had grown obsessed with Lyndsay after she broke off their relationship and got engaged to an American hairdresser.
He followed her home from work before committing the brutal murder in what police characterised as a jealous rage on November 24, 2003.
A skilled cellist, he performed at the Sydney Entertainment Centre later that night, where he was seen acting 'quite normally' despite visible scratches on his skin.
In 2006, he was sentenced to 27 years in prison with a non-parole period of 18 years.
The Court of Criminal Appeal cut his maximum sentence to 25 years after finding the primary judge had made a sentencing error.
On appeal, Justice Clifton Hoeben said the killing was 'brutal and cruel' and that the 18-year non-parole period should be enforced, in a judgment backed by the panel.
His first parole application was refused after his non-parole period expired in May 2022, with the Serious Offenders Review Council finding his release would not be appropriate.
His second application was approved the following year despite a submission from the victim's family 'strongly opposing' his release.
Ms van Blanken described Matheson as 'completely evil', telling Nine News prior to his release she planned to fight his parole 'to the last minute'.
'He's actually served the equivalent of my daughter's age, which isn't fair,' she told the program.
Matheson's parole was granted subject to certain conditions, including that he would live with his parents in Randwick and be monitored 24 hours a day.
He was also forbidden from contacting Lyndsay's family.
In granting parole, Justice James Wood said delaying release any further could harm Matheson's chance of successful reintegration into the community.
'Release at the end of sentence or deferral of release without the opportunity of undertaking a sufficient period of support and supervision on parole… particularly in a case such as this… is likely to be counterproductive,' he said.
He was refused bail at Parramatta Local Court on Saturday and will appear in Waverley for an AVO hearing on July 10.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
26 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Bryan Kohberger's childhood friend reveals she's haunted by nightmares after killer's guilty plea
A childhood friend of Bryan Kohberger claims she's haunted in nightmares after discovering he brutally murdered four University of Idaho students. Casey Arntz, 32, said she used to play with Kohberger when they were children in the Poconos in Pennsylvania, and admitted that she initially didn't believe he was the true killer. She said she 'spiraled' when Kohberger admitted in a surprise guilty plea this week that he carried out the murders of Kaylee Goncalves, 21; Madison Mogen, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; and Ethan Chapin, 20 in their off-campus home in November 2022. As she looked back on their childhoods together to the Idaho Statesman, Arntz questioned: 'Did he ever have thoughts like that before? Did he ever think that he wanted to kill me or my friends? Were we spared because we were friends with him? 'I'm disgusted that he could actually do something so heinous,' she continued. Arntz said while she was stunned by the plea deal, she felt that taking the deal 'was better for everyone', because 'He's locked up for life. Let the inside deal with him.' 'I understand why the families are so upset, they were starved for justice, and I would 100% be too,' she added. Arntz's brother, who also recalled spending time with the future killer while they were children, added to the Statesman that he was particularly thinking about Kohberger's parents. 'I am deeply sorry that Bryan's parents have to live with this as well,' he said. 'I've always thought they were kind people, and they didn't deserve this. And for Bryan, God have mercy on his soul.' Another former friend, Jack Baylis, 31, said he was also only convinced of Kohberger's innocence after his guilty plea, because if he was innocent he would 'be fighting tooth and nail' to clear his name. Baylis said he was still in shock at the senseless slayings, and theorized that Kohberger carried out the murders because he wanted to understand the criminal mind for his criminology PhD. 'I think he did it to see what it felt like, to experience it,' he said. 'If he wanted to write a paper about what killers feel and why they kill, to be accurate, you have to experience it yourself to truly understand it. 'To get into the mind of a killer, you have to be a killer, would be my guess.' Donna Yozwiak, a guidance counselor at Kohberger's school, echoed the Arntz siblings' thoughts as she looked back on her time with the killer. 'I hope that his family will survive this horrendous ordeal and be able to get on with their lives,' Yozwiak said. 'I also hope that the victims' relatives gain much needed closure and heal after this tragedy.' It comes as Kohberger's plea deal sparked fury among some of the families of his victims, with the family of Kaylee Goncalves condemning how his life behind bars will still mean 'he would still get to speak, form relationships, and engage with the world.' 'Meanwhile, our loved ones have been silenced forever. That reality stings more deeply when it feels like the system is protecting his future more than honoring the victims' pasts,' Goncalves' teenage sister Aubrie, 18, said. 'This last-minute plea deal feels less like an act of justice and more like an afterthought. We are not asking for vengeance. We are asking for accountability. 'We are asking for dignity for our loved ones. And we are asking - pleading - for a justice system that truly lives up to its name.' Goncalves' father also branded Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson, who handed Kohberger the plea deal, a 'gutless coward' for the move. 'Thompson robbed us of our day in court. No negotiations, no jury of our peers, not even the pretense of cooperation and fairness,' he wrote in a blistering statement. At the hearing on Wednesday where Kohberger pleaded guilty, Thompson broke down and grew emotional as he detailed the brutal slayings in 2022. Thompson came under scrutiny after the deal with Kohberger was announced this week, with critics of his decision calling for him to step down after the Kohberger case is closed. The prosecutor said in remarks at Kohberger's plea deal hearing that if the case had gone to trial, he would have argued that Kohberger stalked the Idaho victims' home in the months before the murders. Thompson said the state would have argued in court that Kohberger slipped in through a side door, before killing Mogen and Goncalves on the third floor. He said Kohberger then encountered Kernodle as she came down the stairs to pick up a Doordash order, and killed her with the same Ka-Bar knife he used on her roommates. He then entered Kernodle's bedroom and stabbed her boyfriend Chapin to death as he slept, Thompson said. Kohberger's vehicle, a white Hyundai Elantra, was also seen circling the home on 1122 King Road, before surveillance cameras caught it fleeing the scene shortly after the murders at a high rate of speed. Thompson said that after Kohberger murdered the four students, he then returned to the home at around 9am the next morning and lurked outside for around 10 minutes. He then returned to his home, and took a selfie of himself in his bathroom, where he looked menacingly into the camera with his thumbs up.
Daily Mail
27 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Neighbours star Madeleine West calls for Australian parents to receive child care subsidies from the government in wake of daycare abuse scandal
Madeleine West has ruffled a few feathers with her 'REVOLUTIONARY' call for the Australian Government put child care subsidies directly into parents' back pockets. The former Neighbours actress, 47, recently birthed her seventh child and on Friday, weighed in on the fiery debate surrounding child care centres in the wake of Joshua Dale Brown's arrest. The Melbourne child care worker, 26, has been charged with 70 offences, including sexual penetration of a child, producing child abuse material and recklessly contaminating goods to cause alarm or anxiety. The latter charge refers to alleged contamination of food with bodily fluids. His arrest triggered a public health alert, with Victoria's Chief Health Officer warning that 1,200 children should get STI testing. 'I'm just heading to work. I take my baby with me. I have from the beginning. So far, it's worked out. But it won't always and it doesn't work out for everyone,' Madeleine began in a video posted to Instagram. 'But I just had a brain wave. I qualify for the child care subsidy. So, why don't we cut out the middle man here? How about the government gives me the money instead of subsidising daycare?' 'And I stay home with my kids.' Madeleine widened her eyes and made a shocked sigh to emphasise her point as she bounced her newborn on her chest. 'I know it sounds simplistic but the simple fact is, if there is no access, there is no abuse.' From January 2026, Australian parents will have access to three days of guaranteed subsidised childcare after Labour brought the new laws forward ahead of the federal election. The 'three-day guarantee', first introduced by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in December, will remove the current activity test and guarantee subsidies for families earning up to $530,000 per year. Madeleine lives in Suffolk Park, Byron Bay, where she purchased a $4.6million property in 2022. The actress turned child safety and victims' advocate moved to the coastal area to be closer to her six children after her breakup with celebrity chef Shannon Bennett. Previously, she and Shannon lived together in a $16million Melbourne mega-mansion, which they purchased after selling two other lavish properties for $7.7m and $5m respectively. Her call to action proved to be divisive. 'I know you mean well, but shaming working parents by implying you are given abusers access is not OK. Abusers are everywhere (sadly mostly in the home),' one annoyed parent wrote. 'Yes! Let's make raising our own children the norm again,' one supporter commented, with working mothers quick to criticise the notion that all women should stay at home. 'Oh please,' another retorted. 'You aren't the odd one out. Some mothers enjoy working for their mental health. Some mothers have to work for economic reasons. Women are allowed to be mothers as well as retain their ambition and identities outside of the home.' Even parents who backed Madeleine's call for the direct payments voiced their reservations about writing off daycare centres altogether. 'Excellent idea,' one dad said. 'Also, hate to be THAT guy but some kids receive their best care at daycare. Socialising with other kids, clean nappies, consistent meals… could you imagine those terrible parents who don't care about their kids getting more money to stay home and neglect their children? There are bad people everywhere. At home and at work. I see it too often in my line of work. But not discounting your idea which I'd love for my wife.' Madeleine's call to action proved to be divisive, with some parents voicing concerns about putting the onus on mothers to give up their careers in favour of child rearing Madeleine's post comes after Louise Edmonds, a founding member of the Independent Collective of Survivors and Karl Stefanovic exchanged a war of words on the topic. She appeared on Today on Thursday, advocating for a complete ban on male workers in the childcare sector. Stefanovic pushed back, highlighting the challenges already faced by men in the sector: 'Men have a right to work in that area. And so many of them are dedicated,' he said. 'The perception is already hard enough for them. And when a story like this happens, it makes it even more difficult.' Ms Edmonds argued while there are 'good men' that want to be positive role models, the safety of children must come before concerns about gender equality.
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Congregation flees after arsonist sets fire to an Australian synagogue door
An arsonist set fire to the door of a Melbourne synagogue and forced the congregation to flee on Friday, seven months after criminals destroyed a synagogue in the same Australian city with an accelerant-fueled blaze that left a worshipper injured. A man doused the double front doors of the downtown East Melbourne Hebrew Congregation and set it alight around 8 p.m., a police statement said on Saturday. Around 20 worshippers sharing a meal to mark the Shabbat Jewish day of rest evacuated through a rear door and no one was injured, police said. Fire fighters extinguished the blaze which was contained to the front entrance, police. Antisemitic attacks roil Australia since 2023 A wave of antisemitic attacks has roiled Australia since the on Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas assault on Israel triggered the war in Gaza. Jewish and Muslim organizations and hate researchers have recorded drastic spikes in hate-fueled incidents on both groups. The Australian government last year appointed special envoys to combat antisemitism and Islamophobia in the community. Last year, two masked men struck the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne's southeast early on Friday, Dec. 6. They caused extensive damage by spreading a liquid accelerant with brooms throughout the building before igniting it. A worshipper sustained minor burns. No charges have yet to be laid for that attack, which Prime Minister Anthony Albanese blamed on antisemitism. The Victorian Joint Counter-Terrorism Team, which includes Victoria state police, federal police and Australia's main domestic spy agency, said the fire was likely a politically-motivated attack. Police say synagogue attack is a serious crime Acting Victoria Police Commander Zorka Dunstan described the latest synagogue fire as a serious crime. Police released a CCTV image of a suspect. 'I'd like to make it very clear that we do recognize that these crimes are disgusting and abhorrent. But at this stage, we are not declaring this a terrorist incident,' Dunstan told reporters. 'In the course of our investigation, we will examine the intent and the ideology of the persons involved, or person, to determine if this is in fact terrorism. At the moment, we are categorizing it as a serious criminal incident and responding accordingly,' she added. A terrorism declaration opens the investigation to more resourcing and can result in charges that carry longer prison sentences. The synagogue's president Danny Segal called for the wider Australian community to stand with his congregation. 'We're here to be in peace, you know, we're here for everybody to live together and we've got a fresh start in Australia, such a beautiful country, and what they're doing is just not fair and not right, and as Australians, we should stand up and everybody should stand up,' Segal told reporters. Protesters harass diners in Israeli-owned restaurant Also in downtown Melbourne on Friday night, around 20 masked protesters harassed diners in an Israeli-owned restaurant. A Miznon restaurant window was broken. A 28-year-old woman was arrested for hindering police. Anti-Defamation Commission chair Dvir Abramovich, a leading opponent of antisemitism in Australia, said diners were terrorized as the group chanted 'Death to the IDF,' referring to the Israel Defense Forces. 'Melbourne, for one night, stopped being a safe place for Jews,' Abramovich said. Melbourne Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece condemned both the synagogue and restaurant incidents. 'These criminal acts against a Melbourne synagogue and an Israeli business are absolutely shocking,' Reece said. 'All of us as a community need to stand up against it.' Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan said both incidents were designed to 'traumatize Jewish families.' 'Any attack on a place of worship is an act of hate, and any attack on a Jewish place of worship is an act of antisemitism,' she said in a statement.
