Teen's attacker out to cause grief: police

10 Jul 2012, 7:11 pm   -   Source: AAP
A homicide investigation and detectives and Mr Kelly's parents will make a public appeal for assistance. (File: AAP)

A homicide investigation and detectives and Mr Kelly's parents will make a public appeal for assistance. (File: AAP)

The man who fatally bashed a young trainee accountant in Sydney's Kings Cross had assaulted another man just minutes earlier, police say.

A young trainee accountant looking forward to his first night out in Sydney's Kings Cross has lost his life to a stranger bent on random violence, police say.

Officers believe the man who killed Thomas Kelly, delivering a single king-hit without warning, had struck at least one other person in the nightclub district just minutes earlier.

The 18-year-old, who was talking on his phone at the time of the unprovoked attack, collapsed and hit his head on the pavement.

He was rushed to hospital with severe head injuries and had his life support switched off on Monday.

A police spokesman told AAP that a second man had since come forward to report an attack on him.

Footage captured on CCTV appears to show he was attacked by the same man, the spokesman said.

"About five minutes before, at the same location, a man in his 20s was also punched and king-hit," the spokesman said.

He said the first victim had suffered a cut above his eye but continued on his way.

He contacted police following coverage of Mr Kelly's death in the media on Tuesday.

Detective Superintendent Paul McDonald said it appeared that the attacker was simply out to cause trouble.

"There's no other reasoning ... as to why this has occurred," Det Supt McDonald told ABC Radio.

"There's no conversation to occur between either the first person or Thomas with this male to warrant this random, callous act."

Mr Kelly's distraught family has made an emotional appeal for anyone with information to contact police.

His father Ralph Kelly said his son, a cadet at an accounting firm, had only just met a girl after having a difficult time in school.

He said his son's life was "finally taking off".

His distressed mother Kathy Kelly pleaded for witnesses to contact police.

"We don't want it to happen to anybody else, so if anybody, anybody, can come forward and say something to get this person off the streets so it doesn't happen to another family, so nobody is ever in the position that we're in," she said.

Mrs Kelly said she had been told that her son was holding his new girlfriend's hand when his attacker stepped in front of him.

"I'm assuming this person must have been either drunk or drugged ... he knew he intended to punch our son ... he was out to hurt people," she said, as she called on her son's attacker to come forward.

"If you have any remorse, you need to come forward if you are to have a life."

The attacker has been described as a solidly built Caucasian man in his early to mid-20s, about 170cm tall, with short brown hair. He was wearing dark jeans and dark jumper.

Det Supt McDonald said the attack took place near the rear entrance to Kings Cross train station, and called for witnesses who had seen any trouble in the area to contact police.

"People may have seen this person on the train causing a bit of grief to other people," he said.

Superintendent Sue Waites told reporters in Sydney earlier it was Mr Kelly's first night out in the Cross and he was looking forward to an 18th birthday party with friends.

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