A Perth man has been jailed for life for bashing his elderly retirement village neighbour to death with a hammer while in the throes of methamphetamine bender that had left him awake for more than a week. Michael Andrew Dalton, 60, killed 82-year-old Allan Tom Pedersen at an Orelia retirement complex in February this year. Defence lawyer Karen Farley SC said Dalton had been awake for longer than a week and using methamphetamines every day for about a month when he went next door to Mr Pedersen’s home to steal money to buy more drugs. The Supreme Court heard Dalton hit Mr Pedersen on the head three times and left with his credit card and wallet, which contained $400 in cash. Mr Pedersen was still alive and lying on the floor when he was found by friends, but he died in hospital later that night.
