Man found guilty of killing his cousin after drug disagreement

A man from New South Wales has been found guilty of manslaughter after stabbing his cousin multiple times over a drug disagreement, according to prosecutors. Conrad Lardner, 51, was arrested on May 17, 2023 and charged with murdering his 39-year-old cousin, David Vale. Vale was found with stab wounds on March 1, 2023, at Robert Eggins Street in South Kempsey.

The trial, which lasted four weeks, began on June 29 at the Port Macquarie Supreme Court. Lardner was found guilty but not guilty of murder. Judge Stephen Campbell stated that while Lardner did kill Vale, there was insufficient evidence to prove his intent. During the trial, Lardner claimed that Vale had confronted him about the quality of the drugs he had sold, demanding a refund.

However, Campbell did not accept this defense evidence. After the verdict, Vale's partner Jessica Howard expressed relief that Lardner received some form of justice, despite not knowing how she felt about the outcome. Lardner was released on conditional bail after being refused bail initially. He was sentenced to be sentenced on November 13.