A chainsaw is suspected to have been used in the gruesome killing of a man by a group of assailants on the NSW south coast in what police believe was a dispute over drugs.
Gordon Kessey, 44, was found dead in a park on East St in Bega in the early hours of Monday morning. A second man is fighting for life in hospital.
Witnesses reported hearing yelling and screaming around 2am, followed by the revving of a chainsaw.
Mr Kessey’s partner of more than a decade, Amanda Manton, told The Daily Telegraph that she was nearby when he was killed.
As police rushed to the scene, she followed.
Ms Manton said a woman approached her and said: ‘Hey sis, they’ve got your man down there with the chainsaw’.
‘I walked up (to the scene) because there were cops everywhere, assuming that he (Gordon) had gone to hospital or something … and one of the officers said: ‘He’s deceased, he’s been found deceased in the park.’
Ms Manton broke down when she learned of her partner’s death.
Gordon Kessey, 44, was found dead in a park on East St in Bega early Monday
Gordon Kessey was well known to police, having previously been in and out of jail
The park in East Street, Bega was a crime scene for much of Monday
Ms Manton said her partner had long struggled with drug addiction and served time behind bars, but ‘changed his life for the better’ after meeting her.
It’s understood that Mr Kessey was well known to police, who are now probing whether drugs were a motive for the deadly confrontation.
Word of the gruesome attack spread fast through the coastal town.
‘My mate gave me a call and said someone was being attacked by a chainsaw down the road,’ one man said.
Police established a crime scene at the park as an investigation was launched in partnership with homicide detectives.
Investigations are ongoing.
Anyone with information, CCTV or dashcam is urged to call Crime Stoppers.
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Chainsaw murder in Bega – as new details emerge from locals