Witnesses detail John Durie’s final moments at Wycheproof Golf Club

A manslaughter trial has been told of the final moments of a Wycheproof golfer’s life after he was allegedly hit and killed in a scuffle.

The Supreme Court has been told how Wycheproof man John Durie “just fell in a heap” and turned a “ghostly” colour after being hit in a scuffle at his golf club’s pool table in 2019.

The alleged killer, Dane McLennan, last week pleaded not guilty to a single charge of manslaughter stemming from an allegation he killed Mr Durie with a single blow to the head.

On Monday a jury heard first-hand accounts of the lead-up to Mr Durie’s death during a game of pool at a bar night following the annual Wycheproof Golf Club tournament.

Witness Donald Denney said he had known Mr Durie for 50 years and said he noticed jostling and “banter” between him and McLennan before Mr Durie collapsed and died.

He said Mr Durie was a tall, strong man and would often jostle with people when he was drunk.

John Durie, ‘fell in a heap’ in a play fight at a golf club bar night.

On trial: Dane McLennan, now 28, has pleaded not guilty to manslaughter.

“The more (alcohol) he imbibed, the more he got all over you,” he said.

“He liked to wrestle.”

The court has previously heard nobody was looking at Mr Durie and McLennan at the precise moment Mr Durie fell to the floor, but Mr Denney said he looked towards the two men when Mr Durie collapsed.

“He just fell in a heap,” Mr Denney said.

“He looked … I don’t know what you’d call it, ghostly colour … ghastly.”

Under cross-examination, Mr Denney said he had known McLennan since he was a child, that he was about 5’9”, and had “no malice in him whatsoever”.

Another witness from the night, Thomas Draffen, said he began CPR on Mr Durie while on the phone to a triple-0 operator.

John Durie, 59, died after a fatal play fight during a golf tournament in his hometown of Wycheproof in August, 2019.

Parts of that conversation were read in court, with Mr Draffen describing Mr Durie as “sort of trying to cough”.

Another of the men performing CPR could be heard in the background saying the compressions had broken Mr Durie’s ribs.

Mr Draffen said he became “knackered” after a stint performing first aid, so went outside to sit with McLennan until police and ambulance crews arrived.

Mr Durie never regained consciousness, and was declared dead about 90 minutes after collapsing.

The trial, before Justice Lesley Taylor, and a jury, continues.