Stuart Charles Rattle (16 November 1960 – 4 December 2013)[1] was an Australian interior designer who was murdered by Michael Anthony O’Neill, his partner of 16 years, in their South Yarra home following an argument.[2]
Rattle was the owner of Stuart Rattle Interior Design in Melbourne,[3] a high-end interior design firm that catered to an affluent clientele.[4] His work appeared in magazines such as Belle and on television programs such as Gardening Australia.[5]
O’Neill, originally from Ireland, was working as a waiter at an Italian bistro when he met Rattle in the 1990s.[6] O’Neill began working for Rattle's firm, where his responsibilities included accounting, quoting, invoicing and ordering stock for clients.[7]
On 4 December 2013, O’Neill struck Rattle with a frying pan and then strangled him with a dog leash after an argument. O’Neill pretended for the next five days that Rattle was still alive, sending text messages from Rattle's phone and telling friends Rattle was unwell.[2] He then burned down the home and attempted to make it appear to be an accident involving candles.[8] O’Neill confessed to killing Rattle when police found inconsistencies in his account of what happened.[9]
O’Neill pleaded guilty to one count of murder and one count of arson.[10] He was diagnosed with ‘dependent personality disorder with prominent features of narcissistic personality disorder’ by his treating psychologist; defence counsel argued this was a mitigating factor, which the prosecution did not contest.[11] O’Neill was sentenced to 18 years in prison with a non-parole period of 13 years.[12]
Rattle's estate, worth one million dollars, was given to his parents after the court deemed O’Neill, the beneficiary of Rattle's will, ineligible to benefit.[13]
^Walvisch, Jamie; Carroll, A. (January 2017). "Sentencing offenders with personality disorders: A critical analysis of DPP (Vic) v O'Neill". Melbourne University Law Review. 41 (5). Melbourne Law School: 417–444.