Justice Betty King slams stupidity of Scott Alan Parker over killing of Beau Lawson in Carrum Downs Justice Betty King says incidents involving random punches have unfortunately become common. Beau Lawson was fatally hit by Scott Alan Parker. Picture: Norm Oorloff Source: HWT Image Library A MAN who killed an acquaintance with one blow was like "so many stupid, stupid young men" who thought it was all right to punch people, a judge said yesterday. "It is not," Justice Betty King told Scott Alan Parker. This is what happens . . . Parker, now 26, pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of father of two Beau Lawson, 31, outside the Sands Hotel in Carrum Downs in November. Parker had recently been freed from jail and was serving a suspended sentence for an assault-related offence. Prosecutor Anne Hassan said it was at the end of a 38C day when Parker became aggressive towards his former partner. Parker had begun abusing her and, when Mr Lawson tried to calm him down, he punched a hole in a car window and then hit Mr Lawson. Mr Lawson fell and struck his head and died in hospital from a traumatic brain injury. Parker hung his head in the Supreme Court dock as Mr Lawson's mother, Michele, wept while recalling the "terrible" phone call telling her that her son had been hit and was not expected to survive. Reading from a victim impact statement, she said she had raced to the scene and watched paramedics try to revive him. She said that at the hospital she had prayed to God "to take me instead." And she wept that her two young grandsons now had only photographs to remind them of their dad. "No parent should have to go through this," she told Justice King as her husband, Kerry, and other family looked on from the public gallery. Children aren't supposed to go before their parents . . . (Kerry and I) will grieve our boy until the day we die," Ms Lawson said. In response to a suggestion that Mr Lawson's death had been the result of a combination of factors, Justice King said such incidents involving random punches had unfortunately become common despite media campaigns against them. It's anger. Anger," the judge said. Parker's lawyer argued that his client had felt under threat when he struck Mr Lawson. But Justice King did not accept this. She also criticised a letter of apology from Parker as "self-justifying." The court was told Parker had had an unstable upbringing. He had cried and suffered nightmares about the killing, the Supreme Court was told. Justice King will sentence Parker, who also pleaded guilty to damaging a vehicle, on a date to be fixed.