Chef faces murder charge after ‘exacting revenge’ on home invader
An apprentice chef who chased and then assaulted a man he caught in his infant daughter’s bedroom “intended to murder”, say prosecutors.
Benjamin Batterham is facing a murder charge over an incident involving a home intruder who he found in his Newcastle home.
Ice addict Ricky Slater was caught by Batterham while he was attempting to rob his home on March 26, 2016. Batterham chased Slater, put him in a chokehold and repeatedly punched him in the head, a court has heard.
Neighbours had heard the fracas, and tried to call Batterham off after hearing him allegedly telling Slater: “You motherf***ing piece of sh*t. How dare you break into my daughter’s bedroom. She’s only seven months old.
“I’m going to crack your head like an Easter egg.”
When police arrived later they found Slater semiconscious, with Batterham telling them; “Give me two minutes with him. I’ll kill the dog.”
Crown prosecutor Wayne Creasey said Batterham is guilty of murdering Ricky Slater because of the “sustained nature of the assault”.
But the defence argue that Batterham’s motivation was only to “defend his home and his family”.
They point to Slater’s medical condition, with his weight and previous ice use being a significant contributor to his death. He had scarring to his heart because of regular drug use and suffered liver disease. They also say he became aggressive, at one point biting Batterham when the chokehold was relaxed.
Slater had three cardiac arrests when paramedics arrived and died the next day.
The trial at is continuing at Newcastle Supreme Court.
Sheridan Randall, 5th November 2019
