Latest news with #Anthoney
Perth Now
14-07-2025
- Perth Now
Bashing murder is small rural town wasn't vigilantism
A murderer who bashed and stomped on someone he thought was a pedophile during a drunken confrontation is not a vigilante, a judge says. Roger James Kilby, 40, stole a mobile phone from Andrew John Anthoney's house after a drinking session in the small central western NSW town of Peak Hill on March 2, 2023. Nine days later, after dancing and drinking at the local RSL, he went back to Mr Anthoney's home to confront the 57-year-old about child abuse material allegedly found on the phone. Kilby pleaded guilty in February to committing murder after the verbal confrontation escalated into violence. He was sentenced by the NSW Supreme Court on Monday to a maximum 18 years behind bars. The concreter left his victim unconscious in his home and was seen by witnesses soon after swearing and screaming in a panic. "I think I killed this matey down here," he said. Justice Dina Yehia said Mr Anthoney had been killed by "a sustained and very violent assault involving numerous blows". While Kilby went to the Peak Hill home over the perceived child abuse material, he had not visited as a vigilante intending to take the law into his own hands, she said. Instead, the murder was "impulsive and unsophisticated" occurring after the verbal argument worsened. Kilby had his sentence backdated to his March 2023 arrest when he handed himself in to local police. He was given a non-parole period of 12 years and six months, meaning he will be eligible for release on September 11, 2035. The judge found Kilby had shown genuine remorse for his actions and had made positive steps towards rehabilitation while in prison. This included completing an engineering certificate, being appointed the Aboriginal delegate, leading NAIDOC events within the prison, and having his artwork displayed at an exhibition. She said his signs of becoming a productive member of society were positive if he could continue getting treatment for his drug and alcohol addiction. In a letter of apology to the court, the 40-year-old expressed regret and sorrow to his community and said he wanted to become a better man, the judge said. Kilby sat emotionless wearing prison greens from a room in Bathurst prison during his sentencing. 13YARN 13 92 76 Lifeline 13 11 14
The Advertiser
07-07-2025
- The Advertiser
From 'stress less' to vicious murder in a rural town
Hours after he was seen at a rural RSL club sipping beer, dancing and wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with "stress less", Roger James Kilby viciously beat a man to death. Kilby, 40, has pleaded guilty to murdering Andrew John Anthoney in Peak Hill, central western NSW, on March 11, 2023, nine days after stealing a mobile phone from the victim's house during a drinking session. In the days between the theft and the murder, Kilby told friends he found child abuse material on the phone and accused Mr Anthoney of being a pedophile, according to a statement of facts before the NSW Supreme Court. After being arrested and freed on bail for an unrelated crime on March 11, Kilby went to the Peak Hill RSL, where he was seen drinking, smoking, dancing and singing to himself. He then walked to Mr Anthoney's house to confront him about the images he claimed were on the stolen phone and the pair had an argument. Kilby punched and stomped on Mr Anthoney several times, leaving him bleeding and unconscious near the kitchen. "I think I've killed someone," Kilby was heard saying as he ran away from the house. Kilby's cousins told police the long-time drug user had been "off his head" on ice and was acting strange in the days before the murder. Public defender Nicholas Broadbent SC on Monday told the Supreme Court the killing was not an act of vigilantism, as suggested by prosecutors. "The court could not be satisfied Mr Kilby entered the house with the intention of taking the law into his own hands," Mr Broadbent told the court, sitting in Orange. "There was an argument which then escalated. Mr Kilby states that he just lost it." Kilby grew up in a violent home and was exposed to drugs from a young age, going on to develop a "conduct disorder" that led to anti-social behaviour, according to a psychologist's report. While on remand at the Macquarie Correctional Centre in Wellington, Kilby had made personal progress, obtaining engineering qualifications, participating in cultural groups and becoming the jail's Aboriginal delegate. In a handwritten letter to the court, Kilby acknowledged the pain he caused Mr Anthoney's family and his own. "I hope one day I can show that I can be a better man," he wrote. Mr Anthoney's sister Katrina read a brief victim impact statement, saying the killing in "dire" circumstances had shattered their family. "It's a real life tragedy for all involved and such a shocking and senseless death," Ms Anthoney said. "His family are the quiet voices who are saying: our loss is not OK in a civil society." Justice Dina Yehia will sentence Kilby on July 14. Hours after he was seen at a rural RSL club sipping beer, dancing and wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with "stress less", Roger James Kilby viciously beat a man to death. Kilby, 40, has pleaded guilty to murdering Andrew John Anthoney in Peak Hill, central western NSW, on March 11, 2023, nine days after stealing a mobile phone from the victim's house during a drinking session. In the days between the theft and the murder, Kilby told friends he found child abuse material on the phone and accused Mr Anthoney of being a pedophile, according to a statement of facts before the NSW Supreme Court. After being arrested and freed on bail for an unrelated crime on March 11, Kilby went to the Peak Hill RSL, where he was seen drinking, smoking, dancing and singing to himself. He then walked to Mr Anthoney's house to confront him about the images he claimed were on the stolen phone and the pair had an argument. Kilby punched and stomped on Mr Anthoney several times, leaving him bleeding and unconscious near the kitchen. "I think I've killed someone," Kilby was heard saying as he ran away from the house. Kilby's cousins told police the long-time drug user had been "off his head" on ice and was acting strange in the days before the murder. Public defender Nicholas Broadbent SC on Monday told the Supreme Court the killing was not an act of vigilantism, as suggested by prosecutors. "The court could not be satisfied Mr Kilby entered the house with the intention of taking the law into his own hands," Mr Broadbent told the court, sitting in Orange. "There was an argument which then escalated. Mr Kilby states that he just lost it." Kilby grew up in a violent home and was exposed to drugs from a young age, going on to develop a "conduct disorder" that led to anti-social behaviour, according to a psychologist's report. While on remand at the Macquarie Correctional Centre in Wellington, Kilby had made personal progress, obtaining engineering qualifications, participating in cultural groups and becoming the jail's Aboriginal delegate. In a handwritten letter to the court, Kilby acknowledged the pain he caused Mr Anthoney's family and his own. "I hope one day I can show that I can be a better man," he wrote. Mr Anthoney's sister Katrina read a brief victim impact statement, saying the killing in "dire" circumstances had shattered their family. "It's a real life tragedy for all involved and such a shocking and senseless death," Ms Anthoney said. "His family are the quiet voices who are saying: our loss is not OK in a civil society." Justice Dina Yehia will sentence Kilby on July 14. Hours after he was seen at a rural RSL club sipping beer, dancing and wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with "stress less", Roger James Kilby viciously beat a man to death. Kilby, 40, has pleaded guilty to murdering Andrew John Anthoney in Peak Hill, central western NSW, on March 11, 2023, nine days after stealing a mobile phone from the victim's house during a drinking session. In the days between the theft and the murder, Kilby told friends he found child abuse material on the phone and accused Mr Anthoney of being a pedophile, according to a statement of facts before the NSW Supreme Court. After being arrested and freed on bail for an unrelated crime on March 11, Kilby went to the Peak Hill RSL, where he was seen drinking, smoking, dancing and singing to himself. He then walked to Mr Anthoney's house to confront him about the images he claimed were on the stolen phone and the pair had an argument. Kilby punched and stomped on Mr Anthoney several times, leaving him bleeding and unconscious near the kitchen. "I think I've killed someone," Kilby was heard saying as he ran away from the house. Kilby's cousins told police the long-time drug user had been "off his head" on ice and was acting strange in the days before the murder. Public defender Nicholas Broadbent SC on Monday told the Supreme Court the killing was not an act of vigilantism, as suggested by prosecutors. "The court could not be satisfied Mr Kilby entered the house with the intention of taking the law into his own hands," Mr Broadbent told the court, sitting in Orange. "There was an argument which then escalated. Mr Kilby states that he just lost it." Kilby grew up in a violent home and was exposed to drugs from a young age, going on to develop a "conduct disorder" that led to anti-social behaviour, according to a psychologist's report. While on remand at the Macquarie Correctional Centre in Wellington, Kilby had made personal progress, obtaining engineering qualifications, participating in cultural groups and becoming the jail's Aboriginal delegate. In a handwritten letter to the court, Kilby acknowledged the pain he caused Mr Anthoney's family and his own. "I hope one day I can show that I can be a better man," he wrote. Mr Anthoney's sister Katrina read a brief victim impact statement, saying the killing in "dire" circumstances had shattered their family. "It's a real life tragedy for all involved and such a shocking and senseless death," Ms Anthoney said. "His family are the quiet voices who are saying: our loss is not OK in a civil society." Justice Dina Yehia will sentence Kilby on July 14. Hours after he was seen at a rural RSL club sipping beer, dancing and wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with "stress less", Roger James Kilby viciously beat a man to death. Kilby, 40, has pleaded guilty to murdering Andrew John Anthoney in Peak Hill, central western NSW, on March 11, 2023, nine days after stealing a mobile phone from the victim's house during a drinking session. In the days between the theft and the murder, Kilby told friends he found child abuse material on the phone and accused Mr Anthoney of being a pedophile, according to a statement of facts before the NSW Supreme Court. After being arrested and freed on bail for an unrelated crime on March 11, Kilby went to the Peak Hill RSL, where he was seen drinking, smoking, dancing and singing to himself. He then walked to Mr Anthoney's house to confront him about the images he claimed were on the stolen phone and the pair had an argument. Kilby punched and stomped on Mr Anthoney several times, leaving him bleeding and unconscious near the kitchen. "I think I've killed someone," Kilby was heard saying as he ran away from the house. Kilby's cousins told police the long-time drug user had been "off his head" on ice and was acting strange in the days before the murder. Public defender Nicholas Broadbent SC on Monday told the Supreme Court the killing was not an act of vigilantism, as suggested by prosecutors. "The court could not be satisfied Mr Kilby entered the house with the intention of taking the law into his own hands," Mr Broadbent told the court, sitting in Orange. "There was an argument which then escalated. Mr Kilby states that he just lost it." Kilby grew up in a violent home and was exposed to drugs from a young age, going on to develop a "conduct disorder" that led to anti-social behaviour, according to a psychologist's report. While on remand at the Macquarie Correctional Centre in Wellington, Kilby had made personal progress, obtaining engineering qualifications, participating in cultural groups and becoming the jail's Aboriginal delegate. In a handwritten letter to the court, Kilby acknowledged the pain he caused Mr Anthoney's family and his own. "I hope one day I can show that I can be a better man," he wrote. Mr Anthoney's sister Katrina read a brief victim impact statement, saying the killing in "dire" circumstances had shattered their family. "It's a real life tragedy for all involved and such a shocking and senseless death," Ms Anthoney said. "His family are the quiet voices who are saying: our loss is not OK in a civil society." Justice Dina Yehia will sentence Kilby on July 14.
Perth Now
07-07-2025
- Perth Now
From 'stress less' to vicious murder in a rural town
Hours after he was seen at a rural RSL club sipping beer, dancing and wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with "stress less", Roger James Kilby viciously beat a man to death. Kilby, 40, has pleaded guilty to murdering Andrew John Anthoney in Peak Hill, central western NSW, on March 11, 2023, nine days after stealing a mobile phone from the victim's house during a drinking session. In the days between the theft and the murder, Kilby told friends he found child abuse material on the phone and accused Mr Anthoney of being a pedophile, according to a statement of facts before the NSW Supreme Court. After being arrested and freed on bail for an unrelated crime on March 11, Kilby went to the Peak Hill RSL, where he was seen drinking, smoking, dancing and singing to himself. He then walked to Mr Anthoney's house to confront him about the images he claimed were on the stolen phone and the pair had an argument. Kilby punched and stomped on Mr Anthoney several times, leaving him bleeding and unconscious near the kitchen. "I think I've killed someone," Kilby was heard saying as he ran away from the house. Kilby's cousins told police the long-time drug user had been "off his head" on ice and was acting strange in the days before the murder. Public defender Nicholas Broadbent SC on Monday told the Supreme Court the killing was not an act of vigilantism, as suggested by prosecutors. "The court could not be satisfied Mr Kilby entered the house with the intention of taking the law into his own hands," Mr Broadbent told the court, sitting in Orange. "There was an argument which then escalated. Mr Kilby states that he just lost it." Kilby grew up in a violent home and was exposed to drugs from a young age, going on to develop a "conduct disorder" that led to anti-social behaviour, according to a psychologist's report. While on remand at the Macquarie Correctional Centre in Wellington, Kilby had made personal progress, obtaining engineering qualifications, participating in cultural groups and becoming the jail's Aboriginal delegate. In a handwritten letter to the court, Kilby acknowledged the pain he caused Mr Anthoney's family and his own. "I hope one day I can show that I can be a better man," he wrote. Mr Anthoney's sister Katrina read a brief victim impact statement, saying the killing in "dire" circumstances had shattered their family. "It's a real life tragedy for all involved and such a shocking and senseless death," Ms Anthoney said. "His family are the quiet voices who are saying: our loss is not OK in a civil society." Justice Dina Yehia will sentence Kilby on July 14.
