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Bodybuilder killed in Sydney home invasion 'had just gone through messy breakup'


A home intruder who died following a struggle with a Sydney father had reportedly just undergone a messy breakup and been in hospital for kidney failure in recent weeks.

Bradley Soper, 35, died on Sunday morning after police say he entered a Harrington Park house and was confronted by home owner Johan Schwartz, whose wife and child were upstairs.

Investigators say Mr Schwartz, 44, was woken about 7.30am by his dogs barking and “challenged a male intruder located in the lounge room”.

Mr Soper, a personal trainer and international weight lifting competitor, collapsed and became unconscious following the confrontation. He could not be revived by paramedics.

Bradley Soper had reportedly just gone through a messy breakup. Source: Facebook/Brad Soper
Bradley Soper had reportedly just gone through a messy breakup. Source: Facebook/Brad Soper
Bradley Soper collapsed and became unconscious following the confrontation with Mr Schwartz. Source: Facebook/Brad Soper
Bradley Soper collapsed and became unconscious following the confrontation with Mr Schwartz. Source: Facebook/Brad Soper

The Bringelly man had recently been broken up with by his long-term girlfriend and had spent some time in hospital for kidney failure in the weeks leading up to his death. The ABC reports the personal trainer “had been struggling with money and a cocaine addiction”.

However those closest to him are still trying to understand what led him to go inside the house.

Fellow personal trainer Peter Tsikas described him as “a big teddy bear” that always looked after everyone else first.

“He’s big and strong but he always loved people, so that’s what doesn’t seem right,” Mr Tsikas told the ABC.

“It doesn’t make sense and that’s why we’re trying to put the pieces together, because we don’t know what’s happening — it just doesn’t seem right.”

The Harrington Park home where the incident took place. Source: 7 News
The Harrington Park home where the incident took place. Source: 7 News

Soper was a strength and conditioning coach, according to his Instagram account “school_of_strong_”, which showed him competing in various Strongman competitions around the world.

In December Soper posted a photo to Facebook of himself third on a Strongman Champions League podium in Goa, India.

Another post showed him deadlifting 250kg more than a dozen times.

‘No sympathy’ for thieves – Schwartz

Mr Schwartz was questioned for several hours by police on Sunday but was subsequently released without charge pending further inquiries.

A Reddit social media account linked to Mr Schwartz commented on February 3 on a video showing an alleged mobile phone thief being held and pulled alongside a car by someone in the vehicle.

The thief, whose hand was in the car, is repeatedly punched in the head by those said to be the potential victims of the theft.

Mr Soper was a strength and conditioning coach, according to his Instagram account. Source: 7 News
Mr Soper was a strength and conditioning coach, according to his Instagram account. Source: 7 News

“If he is committed to crime, he will next time bring a gun and target someone more vulnerable like an 80-year-old,” the Reddit comment states.

“No sympathy. The person on the receiving end of his crime could also be poor, and worked hard at an honest job to buy that phone. What does his theft do to that honest person?”

The comments were made two weeks before the break-in at Mr Schwartz’s home on Sunday.

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