A MURDERED man’s father was “overwhelmed with pain” upon seeing his lifeless, partially scalped, stabbed and brutally beaten son’s body, a court has heard.

In an emotional victim impact statement, John Hall today told the Supreme Court he was not even allowed to touch his son, Clifford Hall, following his brutal murder.

“The impact of seeing my son’s lifeless body will live with me forever,” he said.

“I wanted to reach out to touch him.

“I was told that was not possible because I might contaminate him.

He said being told he was not able to touch his son “overwhelmed” him with an “incredible sense of pain”.

“I wanted to put a loving hand on my son but was prevented.

“Was he not already contaminated and defiled by the hand that held the shovel that scalped him?

“Or by the hand that held the knife which pierced his body and took his life?

“Was he not further contaminated by the boots of those who kicked him in his face and body while he lay dying.”

Joshua Betts, 20, Johnas Jerome Presley, 19, Everard Miller, 28, and Wayne Smith, 21, were all found guilty of murdering father-of-three Mr Hall, 49, at Elizabeth Park in December 12, 2012 after he challenged them for urinating on a fence.

John Hall said his son’s friend, Wayne ‘Jack’ King, who was also badly beaten up during the assault, had tried to resuscitate Mr Hall but his injuries were too severe.

“Jack’s pain and his injuries and his courage in attempting to resuscitate Cliff will live with me always as opposed to the cowardly, senselessness and viciousness of his attackers.”

He said he was appalled the defendants had tried to paint his son — who had three foster sisters and a daughter who were Aboriginal — as a racist during the trial.

During the trial, the court heard the men had almost scalped Mr Hall with a shovel then fatally stabbed him with a 33cm knife.

Ian White, for Betts, told the court his client had been abused and assaulted by Mr Hall for urinating on a fence near his house before.

He said Betts returned home and the four men returned to Mr Hall’s house where the murder took place.

“Strong words, including racial abuse, and a bashing caused my client to lose perspective and return,” he said.

In a letter read to the court, Presley said he was sorry he was “too stupid” to let the initial confrontation go and was sorry for the pain he had caused to the victims.

He said he understood he would be spending many years in jail but upon his release he wanted to return to his people in the country to escape from a racist society.

The men have been remanded in custody to be sentenced at a later date.

Originally published as Father of brutally murdered man reveals heartbreak