It has been revealed the Sydney father who awoke to find an intruder in his home rang triple-zero in a panic, after the man he attacked fell unconscious.
“Come quickly, he’s unconscious, call me back now, quickly,” he begged, reports the Daily Telegraph.
The man, who was later revealed to be Bradley Soper a personal trainer and ‘strongman’ champion, died after being restrained in Johan Schwartz’ chokehold.
The 44-year-old found Mr Soper in his loungeroom in the early hours of Sunday morning, while his young daughter and wife slept metres away.
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The Daily Telegraph has also spoken to senior police sources who don’t believe Mr Schwartz will be charged over the incident.
Fairfax is reporting police have also reached out to the state’s homicide squad for advice on the case.
He was interrogated by police for more than 10 hours at the police station directly after Mr Soper’s death, but released “pending inquiries.”
Friends have said Mr Soper was a cocaine and steroid user, after witnesses described him walking around the neighbourhood prior to the break-in looking like a “crazed zombie.”
Neighbours and then paramedics performed CPR for seven minutes but he couldn’t be revived.
He’d been hospitalised with kidney failure two weeks before his death but had kept the condition from his parents.
“We’re devastated, his mum can’t stop crying,” said his dad.
Police are still waiting for an autopsy, due to be completed today, before they make a final decision about any charges that may or may not be laid against Mr Schwartz.
Mr Schwartz is said to be devastated by the incident. He found Mr Soper hiding behind his couch after his dogs alerted him to his presence.
Also a gym goer, South African born Schwartz was known at his Fitness First as the "the world's strongest IT nerd," referencing his day job as a business analyst.
On a Reddit thread just two weeks before the break-in on his home, Mr Schwartz commented on a video showing an alleged mobile phone thief being pulled alongside a car by someone in the vehicle.
"If he is committed to crime, he will next time bring a gun and target someone more vulnerable like an 80-year-old. No sympathy. the person on the receiving end of this 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?" he wrote.
Soper's friends are mourning their loss, describing the incident that lead to his death as "completely out of character" for the usually gentle 35-year-old.
"Breaking into someone's house? That's not the Brad I knew. That's not how we want to remember him," friend Joe Williams told the Daily Mail.
It is also being reported a Sydney woman had an AVO out against Mr Soper, that included conditions he not 'assault or threaten' her or approach her while intoxicated.
That order was made in February 2017.
Top Comments
Bloody hell. The words 'bodybuilder', 'steroids' and 'cocaine' are a terrifying mix. No wonder the guy was acting like a zombie. And how absolutely petrifying for Mr Schwartz to find a guy like that in his living room.