A triple-murderer already in jail until he dies has received another life sentence for ‘the cold-blooded and calculated’ killing of a fellow prisoner with a sandwich press.
John Walsh, 79, pleaded guilty to murdering Frank Townsend in their Long Bay prison cell in Sydney’s south-east in early January 2017.
The men were being held in the prison’s aged-care unit for elderly and frail offenders.
In the NSW Supreme Court on Thursday, Justice Lucy McCallum – who previously sentenced him for murdering his wife and two grandchildren in 2008 – imposed another life sentence.
John Walsh, 79, pleaded guilty to murdering Frank Townsend in their Long Bay, New South Wales prison cell in the aged care unit for elderly and frail offenders in early January 2017
In his police interview after he killed Townsend, Walsh described stepping forward with both hands, carrying the sandwich press (pictured) in a pillow case, and ‘choom, onto his face’
In the NSW Supreme Court on Thursday, Justice Lucy McCallum – who previously sentenced Walsh (pictured) for murdering his wife and two grandchildren in 2008 – imposed another life sentence
She noted his lack of remorse and the danger he still poses to others, despite being an old man.
‘He is incapable of remorse,’ she said.
‘He describes acts of murder as if he were explaining how to change a tyre.’
In his police interview after he killed Townsend, Walsh described stepping forward with both hands, carrying the sandwich press in a pillow case, and ‘choom, on to his face’.
‘I don’t work in anger, I work in tactical… cold rage,’ he said.
In June 2008, Walsh stabbed his wife and bludgeoned her and his seven-year-old grandson with a hammer.
He drowned his five-year-old granddaughter in a bath at the Cowra home and also drowned the family dog.
Walsh’s daughter came to collect the children and fought off his axe attack but suffered serious head injuries.
In June 2008, Walsh stabbed his wife and bludgeoned her and his seven-year-old grandson with a hammer
When asked what he was thinking when he hit Townsend, Walsh replied: ‘I don’t think I was thinking anything.’
The judge noted his lack of remorse and the danger he still poses to others, despite being an old man (Pictured: the sandwich press and pillow case)
When asked what he was thinking when he hit Townsend, Walsh replied: ‘I don’t think I was thinking anything.’
‘All I remember is bang, bang, bang… I shut it out probably,’ he told police.
‘The only thing I can’t shut out is, my own family … I don’t know why that’s happened because there was no anger, no drugs, no booze, just that depressing silence and I went and killed my wife.
‘Maybe some people shouldn’t be born.’
Townsend served time behind bars for manslaughter after the death of Belinda Trad.
Ms Trad’s body was found with several gunshot wounds at a house in Port Macquarie in 2010.
Townsend was released in 2016 but had breached his parole conditions and was taken into custody.
He drowned his five-year-old granddaughter in a bath at the Cowra home and also drowned the family dog