Post by Graveyardbride on Oct 25, 2014 4:37:30 GMT -5
Teenage killer believed he was battling werewolves and vampires
A teenager who killed a homeless man earlier this year was constantly smoking cannabis and believed he was battling werewolves, the Melbourne Magistrates Court has heard. Former Melbourne Grammar student Easton Woodhead has been charged with murder over the stabbing death of 42-year-old Wayne "Mouse" Perry.
Defense lawyer Michael Tovey, Queen’s counsel, told the court he did not dispute Woodhead killed Perry, but that his mental health would be key to his defense.
Prosecutors allege the 19-year-old stabbed Perry multiple times at his makeshift home on the banks of the Yarra River January 5. Woodhead had allegedly become convinced the man had stolen his motorbike.
Witness Christine Lambert, who volunteered for the program Meals at the Bridge, said the accused spoke to her the day before Perry was killed. She said he asked her for help finding his stolen motorcycle. "He said 'if you know who has got it, I just want my bike back, I don't want revenge, I don't want violence'," Lambert said. She told the court she felt in no way threatened by Woodhead.
The court has not yet heard whether Perry was responsible for the theft of Woodhead's motorcycle. The court heard the accused had stopped brushing his teeth and had his head shaved and tattooed in the lead-up to the incident. Woodhead had also been talking about joining the SAS, and believed his father was a werewolf, the court heard.
Prosecutors said Woodhead's friends would give evidence that he was well-liked at school, but by the end of last year, he had become a heavy cannabis smoker. Woodhead became manic, school friend says School friend Matthew Caldwell gave evidence that Woodhead started to change around the middle of 2013. He agreed with defense counsel Zyg Zayler that Woodhead believed there was a hierarchy of humanity and he was more special than others. He agreed Woodhead would become manic and said his friend told him his father was a werewolf. Caldwell said Woodhead would become angry if someone disagreed with him.
Defense counsel put it to Caldwell that Woodhead said: "This is real and I know reality” and Caldwell agreed.
Woodhead became angry when he learned his motorbike had been stolen at the end of 2013, Caldwell said. He told the court that werewolves and vampires were a common theme for Woodhead throughout the end of last year. "It was my understanding he was battling both the werewolves and vampires," he said.
Woodhead's neighbour Stefen Grant-Reszitny gave evidence that he acted normally in the hours before Perry was killed. He said Woodhead smoked marijuana while they played video games for a few hours, after approximately 1:00 a.m. in Woodhead's Flinders Street apartment. He said Woodhead told him he hoped to head overseas to do volunteer work.
At one stage Victoria Police Public Service Officers (PSO) were called to the court after a confrontation between two friends of Perry's and Grant-Reszitny as he left the court. The PSOs spoke to the two men, but did not take any further action.
The hearing continues.
Source: Jessica Longbottom, ABC News, October 13, 2014.