'Come quickly': Details of home invasion Triple-0 call emerge
Details of a reported Triple-0 call pleading for emergency services to “come quickly” have been revealed after a Sydney home invasion during which the intruder died on Sunday.
Investigators say Harrington Park resident Johan Francois Schwartz, 44, was woken about 7.30am by his dogs barking and “challenged a male intruder located in the lounge room”.
Personal trainer Brad Soper collapsed and became unconscious following a struggle, detectives say, and Mr Schwartz is believed to have called emergency services.
“Come quickly … he’s unconscious, call me back now, quickly,” Mr Schwarz reportedly said during the Triple-0 call, a source told the Daily Telegraph.
Mr Soper could not be revived by paramedics.
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.
“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.
Homicide detectives are assisting in the investigation and are awaiting the outcome of a post-mortem examination to determine the cause of Mr Soper’s death.
Mr Schwartz’s wife and young child were home at the time of the incident.
Detective Chief Inspector Shane Woolbank on Sunday said “generally people are entitled to their home and they’re entitled to use reasonable force to protect themselves and their property”.
Criminal defence lawyer Omar Juweinat says a “reasonable person” would likely feel threatened and fear for their family if they disturbed an intruder in their home.
That could form the basis of a legal defence, he said.
“You wake up to find an intruder … I’d be perplexed if police charged an occupant for defending their family,” Mr Juweinat said on Monday.
“If he was prosecuted it would shake up the law in a way I’ve never seen.”
With AAP
