Queensland mother reveals turmoil as the man who killed her son is on parole and lives 15km away

‘What if I see him in the street?’: Mother’s life is turned upside down when her son’s killer is released and moves to a nearby suburb

  • Kevin Palmer was killed by milk baron Ken Lacey’s sons Jade and Dionne in 2007 
  • Jade Lacey was paroled in 2018 to Brisbane, but has moved to the Gold Coast 
  • He now reports to a police station just 15km from Mr Palmer’s mother’s home  
  • Ilaria Legge says she doesn’t know what she will do if they come face to face 

Ilaria Legge (pictured) has pleaded with the parole system to change parole for violent offenders after one of the men involved in her son’s death was released and allowed to live 15km from her

The mother of a man who was shot dead on a famous Gold Coast strip says she lives in fear of the day she runs into one of her sons killers, after he was paroled to just a few kilometres from her home. 

Kevin Palmer was killed by milk baron Ken Lacey’s sons Jade and Dionne in 2007.

Jade was sentenced to more than 11 years in prison for shooting Mr Palmer in the leg, after being acquitted of murder but convicted of unlawful wounding with intent.

His younger brother Dionne – who is still behind bars in Victoria – was an accomplice in the killing of Mr Palmer and fired the bullet that killed him. He was convicted of manslaughter. 

The older Lacey child was released on parole in 2018 until May 2022.

Mr Palmer’s mother, Ilaria Legge, told the Courier Mail she was originally told Lacey would live in Brisbane but could visit the Gold Coast with permission. 

But in February, she was told he was reporting to Burleigh Heads police station, which is less than 15 kilometres from her home. 

‘Friends say to me: ‘He’s done his time’. That’s fine. But if you’re face-to-face with the person who has killed your child, how are you meant to cope,’ she said.

‘If I see him down the street, I don’t know what I’m going to do or how I’m going to act.’

Ms Legge said he didn’t steal a car – he was the reason her son was no longer alive, and has pleaded to keep serious offenders in prison. 

Jade Lacey (pictured) was sentenced to more than 11 years in prison for shooting Mr Palmer in the leg, after being acquitted of murder but convicted of unlawful wounding with intent

Jade Lacey (pictured) was sentenced to more than 11 years in prison for shooting Mr Palmer in the leg, after being acquitted of murder but convicted of unlawful wounding with intent

The criminal was originally paroled to Brisbane, but has now moved to Burleigh Heads, which is less than 15 kilometres from where his victim's mother lives

The criminal was originally paroled to Brisbane, but has now moved to Burleigh Heads, which is less than 15 kilometres from where his victim’s mother lives

She said the day people are sentenced is the date the parole hearing is set. 

‘So you’ve already got it in your head but you try to keep it inside so you don’t have to think about it until it gets closer,’ she said. 

She said when Lacey applied for parole she began panicking and wrote several times to the Victim’s Register for him not to be released back to the Gold Coast – letters she claims fell on deaf ears. 

Ms Legge said the parole system should be changed to stop violent offenders living near their victims as she doesn’t want him anywhere near the life she has built.

Ms Palmer had written to the board begging Lacey (pictured) not be parolled to the Gold Coast, but says her letters fell on deaf ears

Ms Palmer had written to the board begging Lacey (pictured) not be parolled to the Gold Coast, but says her letters fell on deaf ears

She asked what would happen if she ran into him or how her children would cope if they saw him. 

Deputy Opposition Leader Tim Mander said it was ‘completely unacceptable’ that offenders could be released so close to victims’ families. 

Queensland Sentencing Advisory Council is expected to release a report into parole, imprisonment and community-based sentencing next month. 

His younger brother Dionne - who is still behind bars in Victoria - was an accomplice in the killing of Mr Palmer and fired the bullet that killed him. He was convicted of manslaughter

His younger brother Dionne – who is still behind bars in Victoria – was an accomplice in the killing of Mr Palmer and fired the bullet that killed him. He was convicted of manslaughter

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