An Australian man today pleaded not guilty to the murder of an Irish backpacker, but guilty to seven other charges.
Luke James Wentholt (31), allegedly attacked Irish backpackers David Greene and David Byas at a boarding house in the St Kilda suburb of Melbourne at around 1am on August 26th last.
Mr Greene (30) died at Melbourne's Alfred Hospital on September 7th. Mr Byas suffered serious injuries and was in a coma at the time of Mr Greene's death.
Family members of Mr Greene laughed as Mr Wentholt pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to one count of intentionally causing serious injury, three counts of intentionally causing injury and three counts of common law assault.
Mr Wentholt's former girlfriend, Shayla Pullen, told a committal hearing at Melbourne Magistrates' Court she saw him repeatedly stomp on the heads of his two unmoving victims.
"They were both bleeding, [blood] was just everywhere," she told magistrate Peter Mealy.
Ms Pullen said she and Mr Wentholt had been drinking with friends at the house where both he and Mr Greene lived before the two got into an argument.
"I think [Mr Wentholt] was drunk. I haven't seen him that drunk before," Ms Pullen said in a police statement.
She said that in the early hours of August 26th Mr Wentholt, who had trained in the jujitsu martial art, told Mr Greene he wanted to talk to him outside.
Ms Pullen believed Mr Wentholt was angry because Mr Greene had joked several times about accidentally seeing her partially naked a few days earlier.
"He made small jokes about it throughout the night and I think Luke was starting to get annoyed about it. So I think that's why Luke wanted to talk to him outside," she said.
Ms Pullen said she heard Mr Wentholt and Mr Greene arguing and then "smashing noises", followed by another Irish voice.
"I heard like a wrestling and smashing, like someone was hitting up against something," she said.
Ms Greene went to the hallway and saw the two Dublin men lying still on the floor and Mr Wentholt "forcefully stomping" on their heads.
"I just remember there was lots of blood - every time he stomped, there was lots of blood," Ms Pullen said.
"I ran at him and pushed him away from them because he wouldn't stop stomping."
Forensic pathologist David Ranson told the court Mr Greene likely died as a result of one or more blows to the head.
He said the injury was caused by the application of force, which shifted the brain inside the skull.
Prof Ranson said there was no indication that a hammer caused any of the injuries.
Detective acting sergeant Nathan Toey said a hammer covered in Mr Wentholt's blood was found at the scene, but there was no evidence it was used in the attack.
Mr Wentholt has been committed to stand trial for murder.
He was remanded in custody to appear at the Victorian Supreme Court for a directions hearing on April 17th.
