NSW government paid $700 to get serial killer out of home with foster children

Wednesday, 18 March 2026 13:30

The NSW government paid $700 for accommodation to remove a convicted serial killer from a home in Sydney's west where she had been living with two foster children.

Regina Arthurell, who was jailed under the name Reginald Kenneth Arthurell, had been living under the same roof as the 12-year-old and 14-year-old until the NSW Minister for Communities and Families discovered the living arrangement through a Sydney radio station.

A whistleblower raised the alarm with 2GB after she contacted multiple government departments.

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Regina Arthurell had been living under the same roof as two foster children.

The NSW Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) paid for three nights of accommodation to remove Arthurell from the home.

The Daily Telegraph reported Arthurell spent the three nights at the Rydges Hotel in Armidale in the NSW northern tablelands.

Once dubbed the "cowboy killer", Arthurell served almost 24 years behind bars for bludgeoning fiancee Venet Mulhall to death at Coonabarabran in 1995 while on parole.

She had earlier killed her stepfather in the 1970s and a sailor in the 1980s.

She was granted parole in 2020.

Last week, NSW Communities and Families Minister Kate Washington said the living situation uncovered by the radio station was "shocking".

"It is entirely unacceptable for a vulnerable child in the care of the state to be living with a triple murderer," Washington said.

"It should've never happened and I'm deeply apologetic for what has happened."

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NSW Minister for Communities and Families Kate Washington said the situation uncovered by the radio station was "shocking".

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Washington faced questions over the situation in NSW Parliament yesterday.

She did not directly respond to questions about how much the NSW taxpayer paid for Arthurell's accommodation but a NSW government spokesperson later confirmed the $700 figure.

Since the story aired on 2GB, Washington said she had personally apologised to the family.

"I have been clear that there have been multiple failures in this case," she said.

"We want to be as open and transparent as possible to ensure it does not happen again.

"When I became aware of this incident last week, I immediately took action and the person was removed from the house."

The department has launched a review into the incident.

"The secretary of DCJ has confirmed that two staff members have been suspended based on initial investigations underway as part of that review," she said.

"Because of the significant sensitivities involved, there are young children in care in this case, we do not intend on conducting a review through the media, but we acknowledge that serious issues have been identified and we are acting to address them."

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