Accused murderer’s girlfriend: ‘I’m in shock’
A MAN bludgeoned to death five years ago was widely despised in his southwest Sydney hometown for repeatedly setting his pitbulls onto neighbours. Now, the accused murderer Kenneth Christopher Washbrook’s girlfriend has spoken out.
NSW
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A MAN bludgeoned to death five years ago was widely despised in his hometown for repeatedly setting his pitbulls onto neighbours.
But, despite local theories in the southwest Sydney suburb of Tahmoor over the years that Scott Hammond was killed because of his dogs, the man yesterday charged with murdering the 48-year-old was not an attack victim.
While police would not speculate on a motive for the killing, they said Kenneth Christopher Washbrook, 47, of Heckenberg, and Hammond “weren’t strangers”.
Washbrook’s girlfriend Kelly said the pair had been friends and housemates and that she couldn’t believe her boyfriend had been charged.
“I don’t believe it’s real” Kelly told The Daily Telegraph yesterday.
“He (Washbrook) told me he was a good friend of his and he’d been staying at his house.”
She said Washbrook, a father, of three, had worked as a nurse before the tragic death of his brother to suicide.
Struggling with the loss, Washbrook stopped his nursing career and began working as a tradie at gyms.
“He worked for gyms doing gym installation,” Kelly said.
“He’s a beautiful person, he does everything for my neighbours, does everything for me, helps everybody out, I’m in shock.
“I just don’t understand. I’ve been with Ken for about a year.
“We went to the same school together, we’ve grown up in the same area.”
Washbrook was charged yesterday after police said witnesses had been “reinterviewed” and exhibits “re-examined”. Detective Superintendent Ward Hanson said: “I would like to dispel any rumours or innuendo this was as a result of any dog attack. It has nothing to do with any dog attack.”
Washbrook appeared briefly in court yesterday and did not apply for bail.
His case was adjourned until July 10.
Hammond’s niece Rachael Taylor said his mother Josephine, who had led a public appeal for information after her son’s body was found on July 1, 2013, had died just a month ago.
“Unfortunately my Nanna … isn’t here to find out this good news but the rest of us are very relieved,” Ms Taylor said.
“We got on with life as much as we could, still waiting for that day when we got that phone call.”
She said Hammond’s family would remember him as a “caring” and “supportive” uncle.
At the time of the killing, locals told how Hammond, who had pleaded guilty to several charges relating to dog attacks, would set his dogs on people. One 16-year-old boy was mauled on the buttock in 2011
“I’ll never forget the day he ordered his dogs to attack me,” shop owner Danny Forrest had said. “I told him to keep his dogs away from some children ... When I came out of the shop he just said to the dogs ‘Get him’.”
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