Kotara South: Warren Browne drove to ex-girlfriend’s house, shot dead another man in front of her
Sheriff officer on the Central Coast Warren Browne armed himself with a shotgun and travelled more than 80 kilometres to his ex-girlfriend’s house before shooting dead another man and taking his own life.
Newcastle
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A jilted lover — who continued to harass a woman after she ended a short-term relationship – has armed himself with a shotgun and travelled more than 80km to his ex-girlfriend’s house before shooting dead another man in front of the woman and taking his own life.
Police believe the woman, aged in her 20s, was lucky to be alive after Central Coast sheriff officer Warren Browne blasted the shotgun through a front glass sliding door of her Kotara South home on Saturday afternoon.
On the other side was Anthony Beck, an engaged Williamtown RAAF Base employee, who had only just met the woman.
Mr Beck, a father aged in his 40s, was shot in the head and died inside the rental home.
The woman’s mother told The Newcastle News her daughter ran for her life before jumping out a back window as Browne remained armed and out the front of her home.
She said her daughter heard another gunshot ring out before silence.
The woman crept out to the front of the house where a neighbour signalled for her to stay quiet.
She hid under a neighbour’s house as they called Triple-0.
Police arrived minutes later and discovered Browne’s body out the front of the home, with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
They found Mr Beck’s blood soaked body inside the shattered front glass door.
Browne, an aspiring actor who had told people he was training to be in the police force, is believed to have travelled the 80km from his home at Terrigal to the Newcastle suburb to carry out the shooting.
The woman’s mother explained how frightened her daughter was, and that she believed the shotgun blast was meant for her.
The woman had only seen Browne, aged in his 40s, for a short period of time before ending the relationship.
But Browne had continued to contact the woman. He became increasingly angry, “wouldn’t take no for an answer’’ and had harassed her on several occasions, the woman’s mother said.
The woman had reported the harassment to police but they had not taken out an apprehended domestic violence order (ADVO).
The murder-suicide will now become the centre of a coronial investigation.
In a biography written on a website spruiking his acting talents, the bald-headed and heavily-tattooed Browne boasted that he had “worked in the security industry full time and had, had over 17 years’ experience working as a bouncer in nightclubs’’.
“I often get mistaken for a police officer/military/biker or tradie due to my size and tattoos,’’ Browne wrote.
“I have had a lot of experience in homemade movies and training videos for self defense [sic] classes.
“I am a passionate person who takes his roles seriously but also has a great time working with good crews.
“I am looking mainly for extra work as a tough guy, jail, tradie or police shows but am open to any role.’’