Bio 

John David Lewthwaite was born in 1956 in Australia. 

Murder Story

On June 26, 1974, John David Lewthwaite broke into the Hanns family home in Greystanes, a suburb of Sydney, New South Wales. The home belonged to Peter and Gwen Hanns, whose children included nine-year-old Anthony Hanns and five-year-old Nicole Hanns. Later accounts state that Lewthwaite had entered the house intending to abduct Anthony.

Lewthwaite was drunk at the time of the break-in. Reports state that Nicole woke after he entered her room or moved through the house. When she disturbed him, he tried to silence her. The situation then turned fatal. Nicole Hanns was stabbed repeatedly and died inside her family home. Case summaries report that she was stabbed 17 times.

After the killing, Lewthwaite did not immediately remain hidden from authorities for long. Later reporting states that he went to a church twice, apparently trying to find a priest to confess to. When he could not find one, he confessed the next morning to a parole officer. The parole officer then took him to a police station, where Lewthwaite was charged and arrested.

Lewthwaite was convicted of murder and received a life sentence on December 11, 1974. NSW Parliament records later confirmed that sentence date. At the time, murder in New South Wales carried a life sentence. In later years, changes to sentencing law allowed some old life sentences to be reviewed and restructured.

On July 31, 1992, Lewthwaite’s original life sentence was redetermined. NSW Parliament records state that a minimum term of 20 years was imposed, beginning from June 26, 1974, with an additional life term. This meant the minimum term expired on June 25, 1994, and Lewthwaite became eligible to be considered for parole on or after June 26, 1994.

Lewthwaite’s possible release became the subject of strong public and political opposition. Nicole Hanns’s mother, Gwen Hanns, campaigned against his release for years. Media coverage of the case intensified in the 1990s, especially as Lewthwaite became eligible for parole. Later reporting stated that parole consideration involved multiple psychiatric reports and professional assessments.

Lewthwaite was released on parole in June 1999, three days before he would have completed 25 years in custody. His release drew heavy public attention and strong opposition from parts of the media and public. Reports from that period state that his release was controversial and that his residence became the focus of media and local protest activity.

After release, Lewthwaite remained on lifelong parole. NSW Parliament records had already stated that if parole were granted, his additional life term meant he would remain subject to parole conditions for the rest of his life, and that any breach could lead to his return to custody.

In August 2006, Lewthwaite was charged with indecent exposure after police found him naked in the Wanda Beach sandhills area. ABC reported that he was on lifetime parole after serving 25 years for Nicole Hanns’s murder and that he was granted bail while the matter was pending.

His parole was later revoked after the 2006 charge. In April 2007, the NSW Parole Authority ordered that he be released on parole again. ABC reported that Corrective Services planned to monitor him with an electronic bracelet, and that Lewthwaite’s lawyer said he would comply with the condition.

By September 2007, ABC reported that Lewthwaite was still on lifelong parole and had been allowed to live about 500 metres from a primary school, though Corrective Services said his parole conditions did not prevent him from living near a school. After the location was made public in a television report, he moved from that residence.