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Home / New Zealand

'Worthless psychopath' found guilty of murder

AAP
18 Mar, 2015 06:39 AM3 mins to read

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File photo / NZ Herald

File photo / NZ Herald

More than a year before New Zealander Daniel Jack Kelsall stabbed Morgan Huxley to death he had visions of killing and said "going to jail depended on whether or not he wanted to get caught."

It took the jury just under three hours to find Daniel Jack Kelsall guilty of indecently assaulting the 31-year-old and murdering him in the early hours of September 8, 2013 in Sydney.

As a jury found him guilty of murder on Wednesday, he came face to face with the full reality of what that means.

Kelsall - who left Wellington in 2010 to join his family living in Sydney - will not be going home to his parents for a very long time, if ever.

Speaking after the verdict that left Mr Huxley's friends and family in tears, his ex-girlfriend Jessica Hall said the businessman's life "had been stolen by a worthless psychopath."

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"An inspiring, generous and loving young man, Morgan was beginning to make his way in the world," she said.

"He will never get married and never enjoy running around a park with his children."

The family and friends who wore yellow roses - signifying Mr Huxley's favourite colour - were in tears as they hugged and kissed one another.

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It comes more than 18 months after Mr Huxley was discovered by his flatmate with his pants down, covered in blood in the doorway of his Neutral Bay bedroom in the early hours of September 8, 2013.

As the crown opened its case, the jury heard Mr Huxley had a few stresses in his life, including juggling a number of women and a waterfront dispute with another businessman.

He was also taking anxiety medication.

But he was in good spirits that night.

Kelsall, meanwhile, was captured on CCTV footage seemingly trying to catch up to a barefoot and intoxicated Mr Huxley outside The Oaks Hotel at 1.30am.

Kelsall's DNA was found on Mr Huxley's penis and his fingerprint on the bedroom's doorframe.

Mr Huxley's blood was spattered on the shoulder bag Kelsall was wearing that night and showed "amateurish" signs of being washed off.

Then there was "the key" to all of it - what crown prosecutor Peter McGrath SC later called "the prophecy".

The defence pushed hard for the evidence not to be admitted at trial but was ultimately unsuccessful.

As a result, the jury did get to hear how in 2012 Kelsall told psychiatrist Matthew Boulton about having "intrusive thoughts" about stabbing "a random".

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"He had no idea why he thought those kind of things and his going to jail depended on whether or not he wanted to get caught," Dr Boulton said.

But in the final days of his trial Kelsall told his side of the story.

Kelsall said he struck up a conversation with Mr Huxley while walking home and within minutes the 31-year-old had invited him in.

Shortly after, Mr Huxley took him into his bedroom and the 31-year-old "immediately dropped his pants".

While sitting between Mr Huxley's legs and fondling his penis an intruder or intruders burst in and hit him over the head.

Terrified, he ran.

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As he began his cross examination, Mr McGrath looked straight at Kelsall.

Slowly and meticulously he worked through Kelsall's evidence, pointing out inconsistencies and using his own words against him.

"Was he (Mr Huxley) a random?" Mr McGrath asked.

Kelsall explained that Mr Huxley "was a random like any stranger is a random ... like the lottery is random."

Kelsall will return for a sentence hearing on April 29.

-AAP

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