Accountant who bashed and strangled millionaire lottery winner to death over her ‘wasteful’ spending is paroled

An accountant jailed for 13 years for bashing an Oz Lotto winner with a hammer wrapped in cling film has been quietly released on parole.

Peter Joseph Kelly, 66, had power of attorney over $5 million in lottery winnings when he murdered Maria Lourdes Devrell at her Tamworth home in 2011.

The NSW man had been the couple’s accountant for 25 years when he hit Mrs Devrell with the cling film-covered hammer and gagged her with his hand in a fight over what he deemed “wasteful” spending.

Mrs Devrell’s daughter later discovered her mother’s body in a pool of blood, with an autopsy revealing she had been suffocated.

Kelly pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to 18 years behind bars, with 13 years without the possibility of parole.

Now the NSW State Parole Authority’s serious offender review board has voted in favor of Kelly’s parole before the expiry of his non-parole period.

The review board emphasized that Kelly met all guidelines during his release and that he had completed various vocational training courses.

Community corrections staff also reportedly supported Kelly’s parole, citing the completion of a therapeutic program in custody.

He is believed to have a low risk of reoffending.

It is understood Kelly was released from the Geoffrey Pearce Correctional Center near Windsor this week.

Among other conditions, Kelly is not allowed to communicate with Ms. Devrell’s family.

A court previously heard that Ms Devrell and Kelly, who was entrusted with managing her $5 million winnings from Oz Lotto in 1999, often argued about her expenses, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.

Kelly repeatedly warned his client that her spending habits were unsustainable.

During an argument at the Devrells’ home, Mrs Devrell shoved the accountant when he refused to release any more of her money, according to the agreed facts.

He got up and pushed her back, causing her to fall.

Kelly told police he simply ‘looked crimson’ and took a heavy rubber mallet from his own car, covered it with cling film and hit Ms Devrell on the head.

He then used his hand to cover her mouth, resulting in her death.

It is understood Kelly was released from the Geoffrey Pearce Correctional Center (pictured) near Windsor, northwest of Sydney, following the expiry of his non-parole period this week.

Judge Robert Hume refused Kelly’s insistence that he had not intended to kill his client and that he had been provoked.

“The perpetrator took the deceased’s bag to make it look like a robbery gone wrong,” Judge Hume told the NSW Supreme Court.

‘That corresponds to a logical line of thought, and not to a loss of control.’

Kelly will remain on parole until 2029.