Friends And Family Pay Tribute To Stuart Kelly; Suggest He Was Bullied Over Lockout Laws

Trigger warning: This article discusses suicide.

The sister of Stuart and Thomas Kelly has paid tribute to her late brothers on Facebook, following their tragic deaths over the course of a four-year span.

Madeline Kelly shared an image of herself with her “beautiful brothers” as children, adding, “I’ll cherish our memories forever.”

Stuart, 19, was found dead in his Sydney home on Monday. It is believed he took his own life, just weeks after the fourth anniversary of Thomas’ death from a one-punch attack in 2012.

Close friends have since said Stuart was targeted by bullies over his family’s advocacy for lockout laws in New South Wales. The bullying resulted in him leaving St. Paul’s College at Sydney University - where he was to study marine biology - after just one night. Stuart returned to his alma mater, The King’s School, to coach the under 14s rugby team instead.

However, hateful messages from those who blamed the early closing times in Sydney on the Kellys continued.

St Paul’s College executive manager Derek Wyatt said he had “absolutely no knowledge of bullying” during Stuart’s short time on campus.

In March of this year, a memorial to Thomas was vandalised in Kings Cross.

Yesterday, their father Ralph Kelly shared his own grief on Facebook, saying, “the most painful goodbyes are the ones that are never said and never explained.”

David Anstee, the co-founder of the Thomas Kelly Youth Foundation, has spoken of Stuart’s strength in the years following the death of his brother.

“What he did to support the change and effect a reduction of assaults and presentations across NSW hospitals is unfathomable and is testament to his character,” he said.

“He did not want the same fate to come to others as did his brother Tom.

“He was magnanimous in his work to help other families and to foster the changes in One Punch legislation to help others avoid the same fate as his brother along with the Lockout legislation which has directly reduced night time assaults.”

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Photo: Facebook / The King’s School.