Sons Speak of Unbearable Grief After Father's Violent Death in Wollongong Car Park
The tragic events leading to the death of a 68-year-old homeless man in a Wollongong railway station car park have been laid bare in newly released Supreme Court documents, revealing a harrowing tale of mental illness, violence, and profound family loss.
Court Details Schizophrenia-Driven Attack
Aaron Michael Lord, 39, was charged with murder following the May 2024 incident but received a special verdict of "act proven but not criminally responsible" in 2025 due to his schizophrenia diagnosis. Justice Deborah Sweeney determined Lord would be dealt with under mental health legislation rather than criminal law.
Court documents reveal both Lord and the victim were known to sleep in the multistorey car park at Wollongong railway station, with the victim occupying the bottom stairwell and Lord staying on the fifth floor. In the month preceding the attack, Lord had exhibited increasingly erratic behavior, telling a church member he was "Michael the arch angel fallen away from God" and screaming for hours on end according to nearby residents.
Chilling CCTV Timeline of Violence
The Supreme Court was presented with a detailed timeline of events captured on surveillance cameras:
- At 11:34pm on Friday, May 10, 2024, CCTV captured Lord spraying the victim with a fire hose inside the car park before following him outside and jabbing him in the face.
- Later, at 12:59am on May 11, Lord retrieved a stick from a garden area.
- Shortly after, the stairwell door opened revealing the victim struggling on the ground.
- At 1:03am, Lord returned with the fire hose to the stairwell, with significant blood seeping from under the door just two minutes later.
- Throughout the night, Lord was heard yelling and pacing, and around 5am he used the fire hose again to wash away blood.
The victim's body was discovered at 7:15am on Sunday, May 12, with an autopsy confirming he died from blunt force head injuries. Lord was arrested later that morning after police reviewed the CCTV footage, finding him in a tent within the stairwell.
Mental Health Assessments Reveal Delusional Beliefs
Psychiatric reports tendered to the court indicated Lord had a history of psychotic mental illness and told doctors he believed the victim was "working with the devil" and that he was "taking care of a demon." The psychiatrists concluded Lord would have been unable to understand the wrongfulness of his actions at the time of the attack due to his schizophrenia.
A friend who visited Lord on the evening of May 11 reported feeling "physically unsafe to be around him" and sensing "darkness" in his presence.
Three Sons Share Devastating Impact
The victim was a father of three sons who submitted powerful victim impact statements to the court, detailing their profound grief and loss.
One son explained their father had become estranged from the family in his final years due to mental health struggles. "Even though he had been absent during that time, he was always my dad, and I never stopped hoping that one day I might see him well again - safe, healthy, and with the possibility to reconnect," he wrote. "His death has taken that hope away forever." He described experiencing waves of grief so powerful he thought he would never stop crying.
Another son remembered his father as a "loving and devoted dad" who proudly watched from the sidelines during sporting events before mental illness created distance within the family. He spoke of swinging between "immense sadness and overwhelming anger" following his father's death.
The third son expressed complicated emotions about his father but said after the violent death he "experienced a kind of grief I didn't know existed." He revealed he had worked with local homelessness services trying to protect his father, adding: "It is an unbearable truth that despite so many professionals doing their best, our efforts weren't enough. He had previously been assaulted while sleeping rough, and knowing that, followed by his violent death, is a burden I will always carry."
Support is available for those who may be distressed. Phone Lifeline on 13 11 14 or SANE on 1800 187 263. If someone is in immediate danger, call 000.
