NSW Coroner: Shane Snellman likely shot by Bruce Roberts

‘Extreme’ hoarder Bruce Roberts left a man he killed rotting on the floor of his home for 15 years, using deodorisers to quell the stench, the NSW Coroner’s Court has heard.

“Extreme” hoarder Bruce Roberts never threw anything out, even leaving a rotting man he killed slumped on the floor of his home for 15 years.

To put up with the stench, the recluse placed deodorisers around Shane Snellman’s decomposing body slumped against a couch, the NSW Coroner’s Court heard on Thursday.

Emotions ran high at the hearing into the deaths of both Mr Snellman and Roberts, with one of Mr Snellman’s sisters standing up and yelling, before being ushered out by a policeman.

Deputy state coroner Derek Lee concluded Shane Snellman, with only 66c to his name, was likely shot dead in Robert’s Greenwich home after breaking in to look for cash in 2002.

Shane Snellman was likely shot dead in Robert’s Greenwich home, a coroner has found.

The court heard the 39-year-old’s next pension was not due for another eight days.

Coronial Law Unit Sergeant Tina Xanthos told the court he was known to trespass and steal from homes to fund his methamphetamine addiction.

“To obtain funds quickly, the most reasonable hypothesis is Shane went to Bruce’s home, entered the property unlawfully with the intention to steal. During this act he was caught by Bruce, who fatally shot Shane,” Ms Xanthos told the court.

He was likely shot in the chest between 18-24 October in 2002 and was not moved again, with gun shot wounds found in the bedroom wall behind his mummified remains.

A neighbour asked police to conduct a welfare check on Roberts after noticing uncollected mail outside his home.

Chatswood Senior Constable Shane Spencer, who led the investigation into Roberts’ death after his body was found in May, 2018, said the house was like “nothing he had seen before”.

The Coroner’s report says the house had a “strong smell of decay”.

“Mr Roberts was a hoarder … he was an extreme hoarder. I have not seen anything like that before … it was evident Mr Roberts never through anything out,” he told the court.

Cleaners at the house of Bruce Roberts in Greenwich where the decomposed body of Shane Snellman was found inside.

Roberts’ body was found on the floor with his upper body burnt on top of a heater, likely having collapsed on to it, the report found. Cleaners took “a number of weeks” to find Mr Snellman’s mummified body because the house was filled with boxes and rubbished stacked to the ceiling, he said.

The court heard Roberts boarded up his windows and had cans scattered around the home to alert him to trespassers.

A huge stash of rifles, ammunition, belts and guns were found in the home, registered in another person’s name.

Coroner Lee concluded Roberts’ died of natural causes between May and July 2017, but his precise death could not be determined due to lack of evidence.

Mr Snellman’s family told The Daily Telegraph they believe he had known Roberts before his death, and had not broken in to the home.

His sister who had to be escorted out of the courtroom yelled: “He never forced entry to that house. (Mr Snellman) was (Roberts’) friend. (Mr Snellman) told me about (Roberts) … my brother was the one that got wronged by him. You are all full of s***.”

His father Herbert ‘John’ Snellman said his son was a “good boy”.

“He was a good boy, he got into mischief. He was institutionalised. I put him in to the care of the state, and I tried to get them back but I couldn’t because I didn’t have anyone to watch my kids while I was working,” Mr Snellman said.