Daniel Kerr, a former West Coast Eagles star, was sentenced to prison for torching his parents’ home. A Perth court heard that Kerr has since been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, which may have been brought on by the brain injuries he sustained while playing.
Even though Kerr is still facing additional accusations, he has already served the entirety of his two-year term and is eligible to apply for immediate release.
When Kerr, now 40, lived at the Kardinya house in Perth’s southern suburbs while it was being prepped for sale in February 2021, the arson crime took place.
When neighbours smelled smoke coming from the house, they called emergency services. He was last seen screaming and waving his arms as he drove away from the premises.
The ground level was discovered to have numerous points of ignition, and Kerr was detained at the Cottesloe car wash he operated.
The District Court was informed that although the fire resulted in damage bills totaling more than $261,000, Kerr’s parents’ insurance settlement did not cover the whole cost of the house’s reconstruction.
Kerr, who played 220 games for the Eagles before retiring from the AFL in 2013 and is the brother of Samantha Kerr, a star in Australian soccer, has been detained ever since.
Fiona Clare, the state’s prosecutor, called the crime “nonsensical and chaotic,” adding that Kerr had no justification for doing what he did.
The court was informed that Kerr had undiagnosed paranoid schizophrenia at the time and was currently receiving treatment for it while inside.
His attorney, Kate Turtley-Chappel, emphasised that Kerr had sustained numerous wounds throughout his time in the AFL, including head blows that he allegedly failed to report because he wanted to keep playing.
The brain injuries, according to Ms. Turtley-Chappel, “could be relevant to the development of schizophrenia,” though she insisted it was difficult to go any further.
The court was informed that Kerr had a lengthy history of substance abuse, which may have contributed to his mental condition.
He admitted consuming narcotics in the days leading up to the fire but denied doing so on that particular day.
Due to Kerr’s high reputation, Ms Turtley-Chappel emphasised, his stay in imprisonment had been challenging. The court heard that other inmates would seek him out and “bother” him.
Kerr’s untreated mental condition had a substantial impact on his offence, according to Judge Gary Massey.
He claimed that although Kerr’s drug usage and mental illness could not be “disentangled,” it was still unknown whether the blows to the head he had while playing in the AFL had any bearing on his diagnosis.
According to Judge Massey, Kerr had a good chance of rehabilitation as long as he remained receiving treatment and had the support of his family.
He warned the former Eagle that there was a chance she may relapse into the mental health problems she was experiencing at the time if she didn’t take action.
Judge Massey stated that he had shortened Kerr’s sentence due to his mental health concerns but emphasised that Kerr had not gotten any special treatment because of his notoriety.
When Kerr’s parents exited the courtroom after the sentencing, they said nothing.
