Brave dad Francois Schwartz reveals anguish over death of drug-pumped intruder Brad Soper
An office worker who fatally restrained a drug-pumped intruder in his home says he could have handled the confrontation better but believes in such situations “you must be brave even if you are shit-scared”.
NSW
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An office worker who fatally restrained a drug-pumped intruder in his home says he could have handled the confrontation better but believes in such situations “you must be brave even if you are shit-scared”.
Driven by fear for his wife and young daughter, Francois Schwartz said he acted instinctively in tackling 35-year-old bodybuilder Brad Soper who broke into his Harrington Park house at night on February 17.
A bodybuilder himself, Mr Schwartz grabbed and restrained the stranger and in the process may have cut off air to his windpipe. Paramedics were unable to save Mr Soper, who police believe had been on a drug binge and stumbled into the house in the early hours of the morning.
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Police cleared Mr Schwartz, 44, of any wrongdoing but the South African-born banking analyst believes he will not be able to put it behind him until an inquest is completed.
He has since Googled Mr Soper and feels for his family and friends.
“In the heat of the moment you don’t always think as clearly as you should. In retrospect there are better (ways) this could have been handled,” Mr Schwartz told The Daily Telegraph.
“Example, I could have rung the police instead of confronting him.
“Or triggered the house alarm … I think about it now and again and wonder what would have happened had I done that instead.”
Like many parents who have a cricket bat under their beds or a golf club in the closet, Mr Schwartz said he feared a home invasion.
“It’s very frightening, you are all that’s between him and your wife and toddler, and you have to do what you have to do,” he said. “You must be brave, even if you are shit-scared.
“You have no idea who you are facing and that is why it’s so hard to make a measured response that’s in line with the threat you face.
“In the moment you just don’t know what he might have in his back pocket or not. Could be nothing, could be pepper spray, could be worse.
“You don’t know what you are facing, so how do you dial your response up or down to cater for an unarmed person versus an armed person.
“If your confrontation starts low key and you misjudged the situation then you are in for a lot of physical pain at the very least.
“Conversely if you start very aggressive and he is unarmed then you face a lot of legal pain.”
Mr Schwartz said he learnt another lesson after the ordeal. “Don’t ever volunteer the police your passport as a show of good faith,” he said.
He said he didn’t get his passport back until September and the incident happened in February.
“You are not cleared until the coronial inquest is done,” he said.
Despite Mr Soper being a bodybuilder and junior boxer, Mr Schwartz was more than a physical match for the intruder.
“I’m taller than him and heavier,” he said.
“(I) did not know him … not all bodybuilders are six-foot-six and 140kg. But … he was a strong guy … make no mistake.”
The only injury Mr Schwartz suffered was a slightly twisted ankle from running down the stairs to confront the home invader but he admits the ramifications of that night continue to play on his mind.
“I’m super-conscious that there a family on the other side who have lost a son or brother or friend,” he said.
“(I’ve had) no direct contact whatsoever (with his family), though I did Google Brad a few times and saw about his cremation, friend comments.”
Mr Schwartz said a sympathetic employer and his community has helped in getting back to normal: “(Work) put some resources forward to assist though I had no right to expect that. I was just blown away and really grateful. I’d say that they trust me more than I would expect them to at that stage.”