Qld: Five years jail for killing friend at party

AAP General News (Australia)
04-04-2000
Qld: Five years jail for killing friend at party

A man, who accidentally killed his friend when ejecting him from a party, has wept
as he was sentenced to five years' jail.

Thirty-two-year-old DAVID WILLIAM STOKES, who's from Morningside in Brisbane's eastern
suburbs, pleaded guilty in the Queensland Supreme Court to the manslaughter of 26-year-old
KURT ROBERTS on January 24 last year.

The court heard that MR ROBERTS was at a birthday party being held at the house where
STOKES lived with friends.

During the evening MR ROBERTS proposed to his girlfriend, but later became drunk and
overly boisterous to the point where STOKES threw him out into the garden.

STOKES returned inside, but when someone went to check on MR ROBERTS they found him
lying dead. He'd died from a jolt to the head, which ruptured an artery in his brain.

Defence barrister DAVID MURRAY told the court STOKES was distressed by his friend's
death and had suffered post traumatic stress disorder as a result.

Justice GLEN WILLIAMS said STOKES had not been vicious or motivated by malice, but
the force he used had resulted in MR ROBERTS death.

Justice WILLIAMS recommended STOKES be released on parole after 12 months.

AAP RTV smk/sc/amt/jn

KEYWORD: STOKES (BRISBANE)

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