Rocker’s son allegedly killed by best mate
ROSE Tattoo singer Angry Anderson's youngest son was allegedly killed by one of his closest friends in a park on the Northern Beaches yesterday.
Police claim they arrived at Pavilion Reserve in Queenscliff about 6am to find Liam Anderson, 26, still being battered by a man, allegedly Anderson's friend Mathew Flame.
"It was quite a bloody scene," said Detective Inspector Michael Boutouridis.
"The man we have in custody was violent and it took a number of police officers to subdue and arrest him. Capsicum spray was used - OC spray - and significant force was used to arrest him."
Plumbing apprentice Flame, 20, was taken to Manly police station. Charges were yet to be laid last night.
Police said it was "quite possible" the attacker may have been affected by drugs.
It is understood Liam, who lived in Beacon Hill, and Flame, from nearby Narraweena on the Northern Beaches, had been out together in the city. They moved on to a party in an apartment near the park and then left together.
Both are close mates on Facebook, with Flame's posts featuring UFC boxers. They attended the Defqon music festival together. Liam wrote a "shout" to his friend "for being a real one, love ya mate x".
Friends commented that the two were "obsessed with each other".
But yesterday residents in the multimillion-dollar properties flanking the Queenscliff park were woken by the sound of a man moaning for at least 30 minutes before police arrived. Many dismissed the noise as a morning boot camp exercise class.
Kim Luker said: "I just heard a lot of - say for at least half an hour - moaning.
"We thought it was really loud exhaling ," she said. "We should have looked out, but we didn't - because we've looked out so many times over 18 years. And it just sounded like boot camp, a guy doing boot camp - running up the hill and exhaling."
Sandy Lewis, 53, said she got out of bed as her neighbours were calling police. "It was a high-pitched moaning," she said.
"It sounded like someone really cranky. It was a really strange sort of noise … we got up and looked around and next thing the police were there. I heard them yelling 'get down'."
An emergency services chopper landed to fly Liam to hospital but he was pronounced dead on takeoff.
Police were made aware of Liam's identity minutes after the attack but the severity of his injuries left him unrecognisable. It was several hours before all his family, including his father, were tracked down and informed of his death.
Angry Anderson, 71, had been performing with Rose Tattoo in Perth on the second-last date of the band's 40th anniversary tour on Saturday night. Eldest son Galen broke the news to him over the phone yesterday.
Anderson's manager Scot Crawford released a statement saying: "The family will not be making any comment at this stage."
Yesterday afternoon Liam's friends arrived at the park to open beers and share tears over their friend.
They tied roses to a pole in the park with a note which said: "There are no words to express our sorrow in losing you ... Our tears we can wipe away - the ache in our hearts will always stay. We will always miss your funny, cheeky ways. You were a loving friend and a great mate."
Brookvale Primary School friend Rebekkah Smits remembered Liam as a talented musician: "He always knew how to cheer me up and would reach out from time to time to check in with me and drop me his latest track he was working on."
Another classmate, Katrina Lofthouse, said: "It's absolutely heartbreaking. He had such a kind soul."
Liam, who lived with his father at Beacon Hill, had previously faced struggles, with his mum Lindy writing on Facebook that the youngest of their four children had been "doing it pretty rough in Sydney" and had spent time with her in Byron Bay.
