An apprentice chef has been found not guilty of murdering a burglar and convicted rapist he found inside his Newcastle home.
A Newcastle Supreme Court jury on Wednesday accepted Benjamin Batterham’s claim he was making a citizen’s arrest in March 2016 when he chased Ricky Slater, tackled him, put him in a chokehold and repeatedly punched him in the head until police arrived.
The jury found Mr Batterham, 35, who spent two months in prison after his arrest before being granted bail, not guilty of murder and the lesser charge of manslaughter.
Mr Slater – who had scarring to his heart because of regular drug use, suffered liver disease and was obese – suffered a cardiac arrest following the attack but was revived by paramedics.
Mr Slater had another two cardiac arrests in hospital and died the next day.
The defence insisted throughout the trial that Mr Batterham never intended to kill Mr Slater or cause him serious harm.
