There were emotional and dramatic scenes in Lismore Supreme Court today during the sentencing of Rayne Aylward, who stabbed a teenage boy to death as he slept.
In June 2022, 17-year-old Ned Gronow was asleep in bed at his Casino home in the Northern Rivers area of NSW when he was fatally stabbed 12 times by Aylward.
Then 18 years old, Aylward was drunk and on drugs when he carried out the “execution-style killing” motivated by an unsubstantiated assault claim.
Ned’s mum Julie Gronow said their family home now stands abandoned and has been irreparably violated.
“Our family has been condemned to a lifelong sentence of unimaginable horror from which we will never escape,” she said.
Today at Lismore Supreme Court, Aylward, now 21 years old, learned his fate.
He was sentenced to 18 years behind bars and will be eligible to apply for parole after 12.
Justice Helen Wilson noted Aylward had a difficult childhood, while accepting his remorse.
“I am satisfied the offender is remorseful for his crime,” Justice Wilson said.
“(He) committed the crime at a young age…and had no previous convictions.
“The offender has taken vocational courses while in custody … including a course to prepare him for tertiary education.”
The sentence was met with an emotional outburst from Ned’s family…with his mother telling Aylward, “You’re pure, pure evil”,
“As you kiss your child good night, remember the Australian justice system values their life at only 18 years in prison,” Julie Gronow said.
With a dream to travel, Ned’s best friend Layla Gava said loved ones were making it happen in their own way.
“Ned’s mum Julie had the idea to paint these rocks and kind of help him travel around the world, he never really got to do that,” she said.
“He’s gone to places like Singapore, India … and Paris.”
