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AAP
AAP
National
Farid Farid

Nation's youngest murderer arrested weeks after release

Little Courtney Morley-Clarke was murdered by a 13-year-old boy in 2001. (HANDOUT/SUPPLIED)

Australia's youngest murderer is back in custody only weeks after being released into the community after breaching supervision orders and possessing child abuse material.

The child killer spent almost two-thirds of his life behind bars after abducting and fatally stabbing his three-year-old neighbour Courtney Morley-Clarke in the heart when he was 13 on the NSW Central Coast in 2001.

The man known as SLD, now 38, was arrested on Wednesday by detectives from the Sex Crimes Squad and officers from the Public Order and Riot Squad in south-western Sydney, police said.  

He was taken to Campbelltown Police Station where he was charged with four counts of failing to comply with extended supervision orders and possessing child abuse material.

His 20-year sentence expired in 2021 but concerns over his stunted maturity, institutionalisation and repeated desire to take violent revenge had led to rare post-sentence detention orders.

A brief foray in the community in 2023 on court-ordered close supervision resulted in him approaching about 200 women across 95 days, including several mothers with young children.

One unlawful interaction - talking to a mother dressing her young child at a beach - resulted in his return to jail.

He only recently offered a motive for killing Courtney: to exact revenge for purported bullying by her brother.

The man was refused bail and appeared in court on Thursday.

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