East Devonport man charged with murder over death at Sprent

A 25-year-old man has been charged with murder over the suspicious death of another man in the state’s North West.

A MAN has been charged with murder over the death of another man at Sprent in north-west Tasmania on Sunday night.

A 25-year-old man from East Devonport was arrested at a private residence on Stephen St, East Devonport just after midnight on Tuesday.

On Wednesday afternoon, the man was charged with several offences including murder, aggravated burglary and unlawfully setting fire to property.

He was due to appear in court in Devonport on Thursday.

The police investigation is ongoing.

Man taken into custody after death at Sprent

Tuesday January 25

A MAN taken into custody at a property in East Devonport early Tuesday morning in connection with a murder in Sprent earlier this week is yet to be charged.

Tasmania Police said multiple resources, including members of the Special Operations Group, went a property at East Devonport around 1am.

A 25-year-old man was taken into custody, without incident, they said.

The body of a 59-year-old man was found at a property at Sprent on Sunday night.

Fire fighters had been called by a member of the public to report a car was on fire at his property in Chilcotts Rd.

Police quickly labelled the man’s death as suspicious.

Inspector Steve Jones said he had significant head injuries and was found about 10m from the burnt out car.

The caravan he lived in was broken into and firearms stolen from a locked safe.

Police said it was anticipated that the man in custody will be formally interviewed on Wednesday.

Possible bikie link to suspicious death in North West

6pm, Monday January 24

POLICE say they are exploring a report there were bikies in the Sprent area around the time a man was killed at his remote rural property.

Detective Inspector Steve Jones said the man’s death, first labelled suspicious, was now being regarded as murder and the hunt was on for the person, or people, involved.

“There has been one report made that bikies were in the area and that is being explored,” Det. Insp. Jones said at Sprent as the investigation continued.

Tasmania Police are investigating a suspicious death in Sprent. Picture: Helen Kempton.

The man’s body was found after a member of the public reported to the Tasmania Fire Service that there was significant smoke coming from Chilcotts Rd.

A volunteer firefighter then found the 59-year-old local man’s body about 15m from the burnt out car.

The deceased man had suffered “significant head injuries” Det. Inspector Jones said.

What caused those injuries has not yet been disclosed.

The caravan in which the man lived on his block had also been broken into and guns registered in his name, and stored in a safe, stolen.

Inspector Steve Jones addresses the media about a suspicious death in Sprent. Picture: Helen Kempton.

Spent is about 15km south of Ulverstone on Tasmania’s North West coast.

Neighbours said they had been rattled by the man’s murder.

Anna Winwood who lives on Chilcotts Rd said the only signs something different than normal farming life was happening in Sprent on Sunday was the sound of a “burn out’ and then a car being set on fire up the road.

Neighbours of a man found dead at a remote property at sprent on Sunday Anna Winwood, daughter Demi and dog Mac. Police have closed Chilcotts Rd at Sprent as they investigate the man’s death. Picture: Helen Kempton.

“This is cow country and Sprent is a sleepy quiet town where nothing much happens. This is crazy to hear a man has died,” she said.

“We saw heaps of smoke and thought someone was just burning off but then police arrived.

“We don’t know the man who has died well but we wave to him and know of him

“He kept to himself, goes to work and comes home. He is a local, has been around forever.

“We are a bit rattled. You just don’t think something like this would happen just up the road and in a place like this.”

Police at the scene where a body was found at a remote property in Sprent. Picture: Helen Kempton.

The property is currently declared a crime scene and a police investigation is ongoing to identify and locate the offender.

Anyone with information in relation to the incident is asked to contact police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers anonymously.

Police would like to hear from residents who may have CCTV footage covering roads in and out of the Sprent area, and any persons who may have been in the area of the Sprent Forest on Sunday afternoon who might have noticed parked vehicles or movements of people.

Vision can be provided to detectives by phoning 131 444 or uploaded here.

8am Monday, January 24

Tasmania Police are treating the death of a man as suspicious after his body was found by emergency services on a private property on Chilcotts Road at Sprent.

Authorities are appealing for residents in the area to come forward with CCTV footage covering roads in and out of the Sprent area and Sprent Forest yesterday afternoon.

“We would like to hear from residents who may have CCTV footage covering roads in and out of the Sprent area, and any persons who may have been in the area of the Sprent Forest yesterday afternoon who might have noticed parked vehicles or movements of people.”

Anyone with information in relation to this incident is asked to contact Tasmania Police on 131 444 or CrimeStoppers anonymously on 1800 333 000.

Originally published as East Devonport man charged with murder over death at Sprent