Nikola Milosevic to serve 20 years non-parole for murder of housemate Danny Barber

A murderer who “viciously” beat his housemate to death using a bat, bike and bin will spend decades in prison for the “brutal and protracted” attack.

A man who murdered his housemate in a “vicious, outrageous and completely unjustified” onslaught involving a wheelie bin, baseball bat and bicycle after the pair argued about the internet connection, has been jailed for at least 20 years.

Nikola Milosevic, 39, was found guilty by a Supreme Court jury of the murder of Danny Barber, 52, at the Mooringe Ave, North Plympton, home they shared with three other men in August 2019.

In sentencing in the Supreme Court on Monday, Justice David Peek said Milosevic had unleashed a “brutal and protracted” and “very deliberate” attack on Mr Barber which lasted several hours.

He said Milosevic had returned home to discover a drunk Mr Barber had thrown a pot plant through his bedroom window and pinned a hostile note to his door with a knife calling him a “piece of shit” and threatening to put an axe through his head.

Justice Peek said Milosevic had taken a large amount of methylamphetamine earlier in the night, and had “become very angry” when he discovered the broken window and note.

Murder victim Danny Barber. Picture: Supplied by family.

He said Milosevic first inflicted a number of blows while Mr Barber was in his bedroom, then took to him with a baseball bat and broke his ankle rendering him unable to move and “completely unable to defend himself” as he continued beating him with a bicycle and a wheelie bin.

“It must be emphasised that while you did have some cause to be angry, your behaviour was vicious, outrageous and completely unjustified,” Justice Peek said.

He said after the various attacks, Milosevic “finally” made a triple-0 call but pretended during the call, and later to police, that he was not at home when the attack occurred.

“During your police interview you blatantly lied to police about not having been there,” he said.

He said Milosevic had told “a number of different lies” when giving evidence at trial in April.

Justice Peek said Milosevic had “exhibited very little real contrition”.

Housemate murderer Nikola Milosevic. Picture: Facebook.

Opening the trial, Carmen Matteo had told the jury there had been an ongoing tension between the men stemming from when Milosevic borrowed Mr Barber’s motorbike which was then stolen and the home’s internet connection.

Justice Peek imposed a 20-year non-parole period, after formally sentencing Milosevic to life in prison at an earlier hearing.

Outside court, Mr Barber’s uncle Trevor Bridgland said the jail term would not bring Mr Barber back, but it would provide closure to his devastated family.

“This is now a matter of everyone getting their lives back on track and putting all of this stuff behind us,” he said.

He described Mr Barber as “a great lad, he was a very smart scholar” and he was “always good” to his loving nieces and nephews who missed him greatly.

“There is always going to be those anniversaries, the birthdays and Christmases when he’s not going to be around,” Mr Bridgland said.