A 25-year-old man has been sentenced to at least 14 years in jail over a frenzied stabbing on the New South Wales North Coast that left a father dead and a teenager with life-threatening injuries.
James Paul Alderton pleaded guilty to charges of manslaughter, grievous bodily harm and wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm arising from the violent brawl at Murwillumbah's Knox Park on June 6, 2017.
Father of four Charlie Larter, 46, died at the scene, while Mr Larter's 18-year-old son Zack was left in a critical condition.
Joshua Mead, 29, suffered minor injuries.
Alderton has been in custody since he was arrested on the day of the violent attack in 2017.
He appeared via video link from the Lithgow Correctional Centre for sentencing in the Lismore District Court on Friday afternoon, where the events were recounted.
The court heard Alderton stole a knife with a 12-centimetre blade from a supermarket.
The incident began during a brawl in the park and escalated to Alderton repeatedly stabbed the three men.
A 'real need to protect the community'
Mr Larter, who had been celebrating his birthday, died at the scene from a stab wound to the heart, while his teenage son received injuries that "would have likely caused his death" if left untreated.
Alderton claimed the actions were self-defence but Judge Jeffery McLennan disagreed, saying the stabbings were an "unreasonable response" and in the case of Mr Mead had been an "unprovoked act of aggression that had nothing to do with self-defence".
Judge McLennan said Alderton's acute mental health conditions played a role in his moral culpability.
He said given Alderton's lengthy criminal history, which included assaulting his grandmother and setting fire to his prison cell, as well as his "entrenched drug habit" involving methamphetamine, cannabis and alcohol, there was a "real need in this case to protect the community from this offender".
The court heard victim impact statements from the Larter family, which described Mr Larter as a "kind man" who would "give the shirt off his back".
One of Mr Larter's daughters said not only was he a father of four, but he also was a "father to a community of kids who didn't have the opportunity to have a male figure to look up to".
Another daughter said she loved her father deeply and described him as the person who "kept the family together".
Mr Larter's sister said June 6 would forever be a day full of "agony", "tears" and "flashbacks of seeing my brother on the news die right before my eyes".
Alderton was sentenced to 14.5 years in prison and must serve at least 10 years before he is eligible for parole.
He will be eligible for parole in June 2027.
