A Sydney man will spend a maximum of 21 years in jail for a "vicious, violent and brutal" drug-induced attack in which he killed his sister over two years ago.
In the NSW Supreme Court on Wednesday, Justice Peter Garling ordered Lucas Christian Delaney be imprisoned for bludgeoning his sister with a hammer at their home in Sydney's west on June 3, 2020.
"(The murder) was constituted by a vicious, violent and brutal assault for no reason at all on his sister in their own home. It caused extensive facial and bodily injuries," the judge said.
After the murder, the 33-year old wrapped his sibling's body in a blanket, putting it on the bed and then placing other objects on top of it.
He then spent four days staying at various locations, smoking cannabis and ice, before checking himself into Cumberland Hospital for mental health treatment.
Aaron Delaney eventually found his sister's body in the flat on June 8. His brother was arrested the following day.
While no motive was provided for the brutal killing, Justice Garling found mental health played no role in the tragedy. Instead, substance use was to blame.
"I find that at the time of the offence, the offender was impaired solely by the temporary effect of ingesting a substance, namely cannabis or methamphetamine or both."
He rejected Delaney's claims he had been hallucinating at the time of the attack and that he thought he was beating up a demon who would walk through furniture and walls.
Instead, Delaney was criminally responsible for the murder, the judge ruled, saying he had tried to conceal the body, had moved between locations after the killing, and had lied to family members about the whereabouts of his sister.
While Delaney had written a letter expressing his regret and remorse, this did not convince the court that he had taken responsibility for his actions as he had not given sworn evidence under oath.
The judge found Delaney had a difficult upbringing amidst violence, drug and alcohol use, and had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and substance misuse disorder as an adult.
The sentence, which includes a non-parole period of 15 years and nine months, was discounted by 25 per cent after Delaney made an early guilty plea to the murder.
During a sentence hearing in September, family members spoke of the heartbreak they felt over the loss of their sister, who provided unconditional love and support.
"You took away the person who meant the most to me," sister Rebecca Delaney said to Lucas who was sitting in the dock at the time.
On Wednesday, Justice Garling noted the victim impact statements given by the family, saying they pointed to the significant harm and distress that these events had caused.
Delaney will be eligible for parole on March 8, 2036.
