The father of convicted murderer Rayne Aylward acted on “misguided loyalty” when he withheld information from police as they investigated his son’s role in the death of a Casino teenager in 2022, a court has heard.
Kye Douglas Aylward, 49, was sentenced in Lismore District Court on Wednesday to a maximum of 13 months in prison after pleading guilty to the charge of accessory after the fact to murder.
The sentence had a non-parole period of six months and was backdated to February 27 this year, allowing Mr Aylward to walk free on parole after the court proceedings.
He had already served 180 days in jail before being released on bail in May last year.
The Supreme Court in Lismore heard that Ned Gronow died in an “execution-style” killing. (ABC North Coast: Bruce MacKenzie)
17yo Casino boy killed
Ned Gronow was 17 when Kye Aylward’s then-18-year-old son, Rayne, fatally attacked him in Gronow’s Casino home in northern NSW on June 25, 2022.
Rayne Aylward, now 21, stabbed Ned as he slept at least 12 times.
Ned’s parents were also in the home at the time.
In July, Rayne Aylward was sentenced to a minimum of 12 years in prison for the murder.
On Wednesday, the court heard Kye Aylward had been first made aware of his son’s crime on June 26, a day before Rayne Aylward was arrested.
Ned Gronow was loved by many people, his family says. (Supplied: GoFundMe)
Father withheld information
Judge Jonathan Priestley said while Kye Aylward did not expressly offer an alibi for his son to police at the time, he did withhold information.
The court was told Kye Aylward had contacted his son six times on the night of June 24, between roughly 1am and 3am.
Phone data showed only one of the calls connected, and there was no suggestion in court the connection meant Kye Aylward actually spoke to his son.
“The statements he made orally to the police and the statement he made in writing clearly state that the evening of 24th and morning of 25th were normal evenings and mornings in the Aylward household,” Judge Priestley said.
Rayne Aylward, then 18, stabbed Ned at least 12 times in his bedroom while his parents were in the home. (ABC News: Matt Coble)
In sentencing Kye Aylward, Judge Priestley said it was a crime characterised by the relationship between father and son.
“It is relevant to consider the aspect of misguided loyalty or emotional attachment,” the judge told the court.
“He chose to protect his son, which was in all circumstances as the law views it, the wrong thing to do.”
