Mate's death leads to Warrenheip hotel attack

Updated November 2 2012 - 1:49pm, first published April 22 2010 - 2:59pm
Mate's death leads to Warrenheip hotel attack
Mate's death leads to Warrenheip hotel attack

SCOTT Whitmore was upset he lost a mate who he tried to revive in a small room at Warrenheip's Brewery Tap Motel last year, and leaned over him to punch the man who supplied him with heroin.A fight erupted between the two men after the first punch, which interfered with paramedics going to the aid of Jordan Tankard, 29, who died from a drug overdose on the way to hospital.Three months later in October, Whitmore assaulted a man he was staying with on two occasions, which he said was due to him dealing with Mr Tankard's death.Whitmore, 34, yesterday pleaded guilty at the Ballarat Magistrates Court to two counts of recklessly causing injury and one count each of unlawful assault and intentionally damaging property.Magistrate Kay Robertson convicted and sentenced him to six months' jail with a non-parole period of seven months to be served cumulatively with other sentences.Police prosecutor Sergeant Bob Anderson said that on July 28, last year, Whitmore and his former partner went to the Brewery Tap Motel where Mr Tankard lived.After being told Mr Bausch had lined up some heroin for his mate, he left the room to cool down.He returned moments later after hearing noise coming from the room to discover Mr Tankard lying unconscious."Upon realising Tankard was dying of an overdose, he assaulted Bausch by punching him, leaning over Tankard's body to do so,'' Sgt Anderson said.Defence barrister Lee Ristivojevic said her client was upset that Mr Tankard was going to be using heroin that Mr Bausch had supplied. She said that after the incident, Whitmore started to spiral out of control as he dealt with Tankard's death.Ms Ristivojevic said Whitmore had a long history of alcohol abuse, which had underpinned his offending in the past and more recently. The court was told Whitmore had relevant prior offences.

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