"It was very difficult to see, especially for his children."
Those are the words of Rosa Hulton, whose son Diego Hulton was killed in 2017.
As if losing a loved one was not hard enough, the family are now dealing with Diego's headstone at Kauae Cemetery being vandalised.
Last Thursday, the family were informed of the vandalism and upon checking for themselves found the headstone ripped from its foundations and the photos attached to it smashed.
Diego died after an incident outside a Perth bar in February, 2017. Hulton reportedly was going to his brother's aid when he was allegedly attacked by a group outside the bar. He took a hit to the head, knocking him unconscious, and died in hospital four days later.
Rosa, who is now the guardian for his two children Sariah, 14, and Nephi Hulton, 16, believes the vandalism was a targeted act.
"Every picture or photograph on that headstone was smashed with a hammer or some sort of tool. No other headstone was touched, not even the flowers.
"It's devastating for his two young children, they're in their teens. As a grandparent, any adult in this sort of situation, you have to stay calm and show that it really is just a headstone but to the children, it does [signify a lot to them]."
Rosa said the incident had been reported to the police and the Hulton family are offering a $2000 reward for "information resulting in the capture and conviction of the person responsible".
A police media spokeswoman confirmed the case had been reported. She said police would not be taking the matter further because there were no further lines of inquiry.
A disregard for authority could be why those attending court are thumbing their noses.