A dominatrix’s “slave” was sentenced to 22 years in prison on Friday for murdering the boyfriend of his “master” in an attack that was intended just to scare the victim, but instead turned into a lethal frenzy.
Stuart Lindsay Heron, 50, set upon 39-year-old Nick Cameron in the parking lot of an apartment building in Melbourne, Australia, in 2021. The Supreme Court of Victoria heard that Heron lurked in the shadows armed with a knife and a hammer waiting for Cameron to appear as he went out to walk his dog, Misty.
The court was told that Heron and his dominatrix, Heide Bos, had come up with a plan to scare Cameron into leaving town. Instead, when the attack began, Heron “snapped and went way beyond the plan and attacked him with a knife and hammer ferociously and brutally,” Judge Michael Croucher said, according to the Herald Sun.
Lonely and depressed following the death of his dog, Heron met Bos on fetish website FetLife about six weeks before the killing and became infatuated with her, the court was told. Bos—who is reportedly known in fetish circles as “Hedonistic Siren”—told Heron about her relationship with Cameron, alleging that he was abusive and had raped her, and that he was also threatening to publish sexually explicit videos of her without her consent.
After becoming Bos’ “slave,” Heron offered to do “anything at all” for her, the court was told, adding that he would “always be here ready to serve your every command.” Together they came up with a plan to frighten Cameron away from Bos, and Heron set about surveilling his target and tracking his movements.
Following an argument with Cameron on July 9, 2021, Bos gave Heron the green light to execute the planned confrontation, the court heard. After she lured Cameron into the parking lot, Heron struck, bludgeoning Cameron with the hammer. “This went on for 10 harrowing minutes,” the judge said, adding that “Cameron had no chance.”
Neighbors could hear Cameron screaming for Heron to “stop” as he was beaten in a “sickening fashion,” Croucher added. Authorities found Cameron with multiple stab wounds and blunt-force trauma wounds, “covered in blood, panting heavily, and groaning.”
Heron was arrested as he attempted to leave the apartment building, with a blood-soaked blade found nearby. He was also carrying a bloody hammer, handcuffs, and a dog’s leash.
Heron pleaded guilty to the murder about two months before the trial was due to start. He will have to serve at least 15 years of his 22-year sentence before he can apply for parole, having already served two years.
The court was also told Heron “is uncertain whether he was manipulated by Bos and does not know if he is responsible for killing someone completely innocent.” For her part, Bos was sentenced to six years in prison for manslaughter.