- A man has explained why he was 'obsessed' with the surfer he killed
- Grant Coleman is convicted of the death of Chris Davidson
- Coleman said he heard stories about Davidson's past
The man who killed former surfing champion Chris Davidson has explained why he was 'obsessed' with his victim.
Grant Alec Coleman, 43, will be sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court following Davidson's death last year.
Coleman, the brother of NSW Waratahs coach Darren Coleman, has pleaded guilty to assault occasioning death and common assault.
Both incidents occurred at South West Rocks Country Club on September 24, 2022.
The attack took place in the poker room, with Coleman placing his hands on Davidson's throat from the side.
The man who killed surgeon Chris Davidson has explained why he was 'obsessed' with him
Grant Coleman has pleaded guilty to assault causing death after punching Davidson last year
The pair then crossed paths outside the front doors of the venue, where he hit him with a single punch, causing him to fall lifeless to the ground.
Coleman told the court he became “obsessed” with Davidson because of his dark history. The former surfer was convicted of child abuse several years ago.
“I was a bit obsessed with him – my obsession came because I wanted to protect young girls,” he told Newcastle Crown Court on Wednesday.
“I had heard rumors from his history and I wanted him to know that this was not acceptable in our community.”
The court heard how Coleman witnessed an interaction between Davidson and a young woman with a 'large age gap' at the club.
His lawyer said this was the context of the crime and told the court that Coleman had suffered brain injuries during his rugby days, as well as a number of car accidents. He argued that this had an impact on his self-control.
A victim impact statement from Davidson's sister explained how he was the main carer for his elderly mother at the time of his death.
Coleman was “obsessed” with Davidson because of a child molestation he committed several years ago
“We are living a life sentence every day. My mother wants to kill you with her bare hands and she weighs all of 80 pounds,” she said.
She added that her mother, 77, drinks vodka “to try to stop the pain” and told Coleman to tell his friends to stop spreading “hate” on social media and to her brother's memory alone, because that's all we have left'. '.
The sentencing process continues at Newcastle District Court.