Chopped to death trying to 'fight for his family'

LES KENNEDY, EAMONN DUFF AND REBECCA RICHARDSON
July 4, 2010

A SYDNEY security guard's connections to members of an outlaw motorcycle gang are being examined by detectives investigating his machete murder.

Liverpool police commander Superintendent Gary Worboys said ''butchered'' was the only way to describe the wounds suffered by Kesley Burgess, 25, during a home invasion at Lurnea in Sydney's south-west.

Four men in dark clothing used machetes and axes to chop into Mr Burgess's wrists and ankles.

''His left wrist was all but amputated,'' Superintendent Worboys said yesterday.

The intruders broke down the front door of the house in Clingan Avenue about 11.45pm on Thursday, shortly after Mr Burgess's brother Jacob had left to celebrate his 20th birthday with friends.

Inside the house with Mr Burgess, who died from his injuries in Liverpool Hospital on Friday night, were his 25-year-old girlfriend, Krysty, his mother, Tracy White, 47, and her partner Gary, 56.

Mrs White returned to the crime scene yesterday with relatives.

Reeling from the blood-soaked scene inside, the family swiftly gathered some clothes then headed off in search of a motel.

Before leaving, the family ushered The Sun-Herald inside and Mr Burgess's eldest brother Terence asked: ''Have you ever seen anything like this? Kesley was just trying to protect his family and they chopped him to pieces.''

Shedding further light on the incident, he said: ''My mother's partner Gary went to the door, thinking it was our youngest brother who'd probably forgotten his key. As he went to answer, this bloke has kicked it, knocking Gary out cold.''

He added: ''They've then gone down the hallway towards the bedroom and mum's come out. Straight away, one of them had a swing at her with a machete, which fortunately just scraped her hand.

''Kesley pushed mum and his girlfriend into the bedroom. He knew they were in danger - he wanted to protect his family and so he's tried to fight these people off … He never stood a chance. They were savages. As far as I know, our family have no idea who any of them are.''

Superintendent Worboys said the attackers, described as Pacific Islander in appearance, made threats as they inflicted the wounds on Mr Burgess.

Keith Burgess, Kesley's grandfather, said his dead grandson was ''a quiet boy'' who had previously worked as a security guard at a hotel known as a haunt for bikies.

Superintendent Worboys confirmed police were looking at bikie connections. But police have also refused to rule out links with two other home invasions in the area, one at Warwick Farm the same night and another at Green Valley earlier in the week.

Last Sunday three men armed with a pistol and an axe terrorised seven people during an 11pm home invasion at Cabramatta during which a woman, 65, was tied up and a man, 30, was kicked in the head.

From: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/chopped-to-death-trying-to-fight-for-his-family-20100703-zuz7.html