The grieving family of a man murdered in an inner-Sydney public housing tower have told a judge of their heartache over losing such a kind, gentle soul.
"We will never be able to understand or deal with the fact that his life was taken from him in such a malicious and cowardly way," Joanne Bradshaw said on Thursday.
She was reading out her victim impact statement at the sentence hearing of Richard Archer who was found guilty of murdering her ex-husband David Wayne Bradshaw.
The NSW Supreme Court jury rejected the 49-year-old's contention that he was acting in self-defence when he plunged a blade 17cm into Mr Bradshaw's back,
The 54-year-old victim was stabbed during a scuffle in the early hours of February 16, 2020 at a mutual friend's unit at Kendall Towers in Redfern.
His ex-wife said they were together for 30 years, had two beautiful daughters and remained friends after divorcing.
The hard-working, fun-loving, gentle soul, who was one of nine children, would always help the underdog.
"He was too trusting and was often taken advantage of because of his kind nature," Ms Bradshaw said.
She and their daughters, who now live in Queensland, had unsuccessfully tried to get him to move there.
After his stabbing, police accompanied them to his unit at Kendall Towers, a residence he had not allowed his daughters to visit.
They were shocked by the premises and the terrible smell in the building entrance and lifts.
"There was a huge shrine set up in his doorway," she said.
"In the unit the only familiar thing I saw was his photos of his two girls and myself. My heart broke."
Kirsty Bradshaw said her father was a kind, loving and caring man, who was a calm and patient parent.
But he became depressed and tried to keep to himself after moving to the Redfern block, hoping the housing department would come through with a move to a safer place.
Their visit to his unit had been "horrifying", especially knowing he had died a few floors beneath them.
"I cannot understand why anyone would want to hurt my father who put everyone before himself," she said.
On his birthday, "I picked up the phone and then realised he is never going to answer".
Kylie Bradshaw said she had idolised her father.
"He would give his shirt to anyone in need because he knew what it was like to have nothing."
She too was shocked by the "appalling" Kendall block and couldn't believe he lived there for some years before his life was taken on level 10.
"During the painful murder trial, they heard "shocking allegations about my dad and untruths about him that will haunt me for the rest of my life".
Prosecutor Gareth Harrison said Archer had exaggerated or made up mental health and other information he provided to a psychiatrist "to assist him in these proceedings".
"While in a letter to Your Honour he has expressed some feelings in relation to the deceased's family, he has not accepted responsibility ... he maintains it was an accident or he was acting in self-defence."
Archer's barrister Troy Anderson said the stabbing was spontaneous.
Archer, who had a deprived upbringing, may have had the knife due to paranoid beliefs leading to his interpreting information "in a persecutory manner".
Justice Peter Hamill will sentence him on November 18.
Australian Associated Press
