Manslaughter verdict for bashing 74yo in drunken rage

Davies, 35, was facing a murder charge over the death of Kenneth Campbell in the central-west town of Parkes shortly after 2am on May 6, 2020.

The NSW Supreme Court jury in Bathurst delivered a guilty verdict to the lesser charge of manslaughter on Monday, after hearing during the trial that Mr Campbell may have suffered from a chronic brain injury which potentially contributed to his death.

Before Mr Campbell's death, a heavily intoxicated Davies was seen by multiple witnesses banging on doors and making threats in what appeared to be a drunken rage.

One witness reported hearing Davies say, "I'm going to kill this pedo c***".

Another person said the then-31-year-old was heard stating, "I'm going to kill you. I'm going to kill everyone on the street".

Mr Campbell had been involved in two accidents during his lifetime which dramatically changed his behaviour and left him with scars to his face and only one eye.

Despite never having been charged with any sexual offences, he was nicknamed "Chester the molester" due to his appearance and strange behaviour, which may have resulted from a brain injury.

As well as witness testimonies, the Crown relied on the discovery of Davies' bloody thumb print on Mr Campbell's bedroom door, as well as what was highly likely to be a mix of both men's DNA found under Davies' fingernail.

Expert evidence from both parties determined Mr Campbell's cause of death to have been blunt-force trauma, which caused bleeding on his brain.

Medical examination revealed fresh bleeding in Mr Campbell's brain at or around the time of his death, but the jury heard it was inconclusive whether the injury occurred at the time of the alleged attack or earlier.

Davies will be sentenced at a later date.

Australian Associated Press