A ‘coward punch’ on the streets of Sydney killed one of their sons and contributed to the suicide of the other. Now Kathy and Ralph Kelly are creating a lasting legacy of kindness in the wake of the tragic deaths of their children, writes Michael Sheather.
For Sydney’s Kings Cross, it was still early. At precisely 10.05pm on July 7, 2012, Thomas Kelly, a newly appointed trainee accountant, opened the door of a taxi and stepped into a bustling Saturday night on Victoria Street in one of the most notorious and unpredictable entertainment areas in the country.
As Thomas stepped onto the street that night, he was talking into his mobile phone, speaking with a friend who was directing him to the nearby venue where they planned to meet and celebrate a colleague’s birthday. As he spoke, Thomas reached for the hand of a young woman, Shaneez, a fellow cadet with whom he’d struck up a close friendship in recent months while working at a prestigious accounting firm, Hall Chadwick. They were young, obviously attracted to each other and this was their first official outing as a couple. Closed circuit TV footage later showed Thomas laughing and smiling as he held Shaneez’s hand. Romance was clearly in the air.
Unfortunately, that is where both the romance and all the promise of Thomas Kelly’s young life ended, snuffed out in an appalling act of unprovoked violence. Just two minutes later Thomas was laid out on a King’s Cross pavement, his blood spreading darkly across concrete.
A drunken thug, 18-year-old Kieran Loveridge, lunged at the couple out of the darkness. He punched Thomas in the face – a full-force blow that the young man never saw coming – a senseless coward’s punch that threw Thomas backwards, smashing the back of his skull onto the footpath. He never regained consciousness.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der May 2019-Ausgabe von The Australian Women's Weekly.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der May 2019-Ausgabe von The Australian Women's Weekly.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
Hitting a nerve
Regulating the vagus nerve with its links to depression, anxiety, arthritis and diabetes - could aid physical and mental wellbeing.
Take me to the river
With a slew of new schedules and excursions to explore, the latest river cruises promise to give you experiences and sights you won’t see on the ocean.
The last act
When family patriarch Tom Edwards passes away, his children must come together to build his coffin in four days, otherwise they will lose their inheritance. Can they put their sibling rivalry aside?
MEET RUSSIA'S BRAVEST WOMEN
When Alexei Navalny died in a brutal Arctic prison, Vladimir Putin thought he had triumphed over his most formidable opponent. Until three courageous women - Alexei's mother, wife and daughter - took up his fight for freedom.
The wines and lines mums
Once only associated with glamorous A-listers, cocaine is now prevalent with the soccer-mum set - as likely to be imbibed at a school fundraiser as a nightclub. The Weekly looks inside this illegal, addictive, rising trend.
Jenny Liddle-Bob.Lucy McDonald.Sasha Green - Why don't you know their names?
Indigenous women are being murdered at frightening rates, their deaths often left uninvestigated and widely unreported. Here The Weekly meets families who are battling grief and desperate for solutions.
Growing happiness
Through drought flood and heartbreak, Jenny Jennr's sunflowers bloom with hope, sunshine and joy
"Thank God we make each other laugh"
A shared sense of humour has seen Aussie comedy couple Harriet Dyer and Patrick Brammall conquer the world. But what does life look like when the cameras go down:
Winter baking with apples and pears
Celebrate the season of Australian apples and pears with these sweet bakes that will keep the midwinter blues away.
Budget dinner winners
Looking for some thrifty inspiration for weeknight dinners? Try our tasty line-up of low-cost recipes that are bound to please everyone at the table.