Conrad Lardner sentenced 8 years for stabbing over drug dispute
Lardner, 51, was sentenced to eight years and three months for fatally stabbing his cousin over a low-quality drug refund.
Conrad Lardner stabbed cousin David Vale outside a Kempsey home on March 1, 2023, after Vale demanded a refund for low-quality drugs. Vale started the fight.
The knife fell from his pocket during the struggle and Lardner picked it up, stabbing twice. The Supreme Court found Lardner guilty of manslaughter, not murder.
Justice Stephen Campbell said Lardner's response was unreasonable, he could have moved away or thrown the knife aside. Lardner was sentenced to eight years and three months with parole eligibility in 2031.
The court considered his difficult childhood and personality disorder diagnosis.
- 8 years and 3 months
- Sentence length
- March 1, 2023
- When stabbing occurred
- Kempsey, NSW Mid North Coast
- Location
- 2031
- Parole eligibility
Why it mattersThe court's decision shows how manslaughter sentences balance a victim's role in starting conflict against an offender's disproportionate response.
AustraliaFor Kempsey residents, it's local court justice. For others, it demonstrates how NSW courts sentence manslaughter when the victim initiates the fight.
