Pubdate: Sun, 30 Jul 2006
Source: West Australian (Australia)
Copyright: 2006 West Australian Newspapers Limited
Contact:  http://www.thewest.com.au
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/495
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

DRUG KILLING EXPOSES A a€'DARK UNDERBELLYa€TM

The motiveless, amphetaminefuelled murder of a young man by his best 
friend exposed a 'dark underbelly' in society, Justice John McKechnie 
said yesterday.

Justice McKechnie made the comments in sentencing suburban drug 
dealer Srdjan Cecez, 22, to a 17 1 /2-year jail term after a Supreme 
Court jury found him guilty yesterday of wilfully murdering Milan 
Tomasevic, 19, in September 2004.

During a seven-day trial, the court was told that Cecez suddenly 
stabbed his best friend in both the neck, severing his carotid 
artery, and back with a big butcher's knife while they were doing a 
late-night drug deal at a Balga house.

Cecez then drove the dying victim to a truck stop 20km south of 
Lancelin and dumped his semi-naked body in scrub.

Justice McKechnie said the apparently motiveless murder exposed a 
'dark underbelly' in society.

Both Cecez and Mr Tomasevic had been using and dealing in 
amphetamines since early 2004 and had set up a clandestine laboratory 
in the Chisholm Way house where the killing occurred. Cecez had 
snorted a line of speed only hours earlier and was described by 
witnesses as "ooping out" and "looking funny" .

"This was an amphetamine-fuelled crime," Justice McKechnie said.

He said the jury rejected Cecez's attempt to blame two other men who 
had witnessed the killing. He said the killer had embarked on a plan 
to ensure his friend would die and to divert blame.

After stabbing Mr Tomasevic twice, Cecez repeatedly beat him with a 
spirit level before driving him out of the metropolitan area to hide 
his body. He then covered bloodstains in the car before hiding it off 
a bush track. Cecez also lied to Mr Tomasevic's family when they were 
frantically looking for him.

Justice McKechnie said Cecez had only been interested in protecting 
himself. The judge rejected defence submissions that Cecez's actions 
were affected by post-traumatic stress disorder from his experiences 
as a child in the 1990s Bosnian war.

Cecez, formerly of Kiara, was sentenced to a mandatory life jail with 
a minimum of 17 1 /2 years, backdated to September 2004.

Outside court, Det-Sgt Rod Wilde, from Major Crime, said Ceceza€TMs 
use of amphetamine appeared to be the main trigger for the murder.

"The family are searching for answers and they are finding it 
difficult to understand why his best friend would do this to him," he said.

"There certainly is an underbelly of crime and drugs and 
methamphetamine is definitely fuelling a lot of these offences."
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