Keep Sydney Serial Killer ‘The Mutilator’ Who Murdered His Boyfriends Behind Bars: Police

A serial killer, dubbed by the media as ‘The Mutilator’ for murdering and dismembering the bodies of two of his boyfriends in Sydney, is due to be released in September 2022 after his 21-year prison term expires. The NSW police, however, want 53-year-old Damien Anthony Peters’ detention to be continued over fears that he could reoffend. 

Trigger Warning: This story has details of  a gruesome double murder, which might be distressing to some readers. For 24 hour crisis support and suicide prevention call Lifeline on 13 11 14. For Australia-wide LGBTQI peer support call QLife on 1800 184 527 or webchat.

Justice Julia Lonergan of the NSW Supreme Court heard an application for Peters’ interim continuing detention last week. According to The Daily Mail, Peters’ lawyer Matt Johnson argued that he should be “released into the community on an Extended Supervision Order with more than 50 conditions”.

Peters (then 31) had pleaded guilty to murdering and dismembering two of his boyfriends Tereaupii ‘Andrei’ Akai (50) and  Bevan James Frost (57) in 2001. A court in 2002 sentenced Peters to 21 years in prison, with a non-parole period of 13 years. 

Two Murders Within Eight Months

Around January or February 2001, Peters had stabbed his boyfriend of four years Akai in the neck before cutting up his body. He then flushed the organs and teeth down the toilet, dismembered the body and torso and disposed of the remains in council bins. 

Police started investigating the case after neighbours reported that they had not seen Akai, who lived in a housing block in Northcott in Surry Hills, Sydney, for months. The police found that Peters had been collecting Akai’s disability pension. 

Peters admitted to withdrawing the money, but claimed Akai, who was taking a break, had given him the card. Police charged Peters with obtaining money by deception. On his release, Peters started living with Frost. 

On September 11, 2001, police visited Frost’s flat where they found Peters dazed and agitated. They discovered the remains of a body and torso in the bath. According to the police, the body was identified as that of Frost. Peters had flushed the organs down the toilet and cut up the torso. 

Rehabilitation Or Detention

Peters was jailed for 21 years in 2002 and was released on parole in 2016. In 2019, police launched a manhunt after Peters removed his electronic monitoring anklet and fled to Sydney’s Oxford street.

The manager at a popular gay pub asked Peters to leave on two consecutive nights after finding him to be excessively intoxicated. The police tracked him down to Church Street in Petersham, arrested him and send him back to jail. 

Peters’ lawyer has argued for his rehabilitation in society. According to The Daily Mail, the lawyer representing NSW state told the Supreme Court that “Peters presents an unacceptable risk of committing a serious offence if released and testing the defendant in the community flies in the face of a risk avoidant approach”.

 

If you feel distressed reading the story, you can reach out to support services.

For 24 hour crisis support and suicide prevention call Lifeline on 13 11 14

For Australia-wide LGBTQI peer support call QLife on 1800 184 527 or webchat.