Family backs man who fatally attacked his own grandmother
Nicholas Field made the worst mistake of his life when he consumed magic mushrooms at his brother's birthday party in 2020, as he would later go on to fatally assault his grandmother.
The man reportedly attempted to take his own life, and told police to shoot him instead of arresting him.
While Nicholas expected to be shunned by his family, his partner, mother and widowed grandfather continued to support him.
He is currently behind bars and has plead guilty to manslaughter.
Supreme Court Justice Jacinta Taylor said that even as police and paramedics attended to 84-year-old Beryl Field after her attack, she still fiercely protected her grandson.
Field asked officers “please don’t arrest him”.
She died in hospital weeks later due to complications from head and abdominal injuries.
Nicholas has consumed two magic mushroom drinks as well as dried mushrooms at his brother’s birthday earlier in the evening.
Those in attendance noticed he had become emotional and upset.
He walked to his grandparents’ house and told his grandfather Max Field he wasn’t in a good way.
After being invited into his grandparent’s home, he began rambling loudly while he smashed a light shade and removed his jumper and shirt before pushing his grandmother to the ground.
He kicked a heater in the living room before he went back to the kitchen and kicked his grandmother in the stomach.
Field then smashed a glass cabinet and pushed over a television, which struck his grandfather in the head as a result.
Prosecutor Robyn Harper said Nicholas had plans to take his own life.
“As police arrested him he stated that he had just killed his grandparents and asked police to shoot him,” Harper said.