NSW: Bashed man's body lies for days in home unit

AAP General News (Australia)
02-15-2008
NSW: Bashed man's body lies for days in home unit

EDS: Changes keyword from BODY to LEHMANN



By Simon Kirby, Police Reporter

SYDNEY, Feb 15 AAP - The body of a "quiet, gentlemanly" man beaten to death in his
Sydney unit may have remained undiscovered for up to two days, police say.

A family friend found the body of 66-year-old Bernd Lehmann at about 7.30pm (AEDT)
yesterday near the kitchen of his flat in Alt St, Ashfield, in the city's inner west.

Mr Lehmann had severe head injuries, police said, apparently from being beaten with
a blunt instrument.

Forensic officers were scouring the unit for clues, but police would not confirm reports
that a heavy figurine, retrieved for examination, was the suspected murder weapon.

"The crime scene is being examined, but the actual murder weapon has not been identified,"

Assistant Commissioner Frank Mennilli said.

Mr Mennilli said police would not know when Mr Lehmann died until an autopsy had been
completed, but he hadn't been seen for at least two days.

"We believe the last time may have been early Tuesday morning," Mr Mennilli said.

Police said Mr Lehmann lived alone and had no family in Australia.

Mr Mennilli described the killing as a particularly unpleasant crime.

"I think that when anyone gets killed in this way it's pretty bad, so that's why we're
putting all the resources available into trying to arrest the offender."

Mr Lehmann's next-door neighbour Satya Upadhaya told AAP he had accompanied the family
friend to the unit when the body was found.

He had come to check on Mr Lehmann as he had not heard from him for two days, Mr Upadhaya said.

He said the friend had a spare set of keys to Mr Lehmann's flat but was too afraid
to enter the unit alone.

"I went along with him and stood near while he opened the door and he walked straight
into the kitchen area," Mr Upadhaya said.

"All of a sudden when he reached the kitchen, he must have seen the body, because he
rushed outside."

Mr Upadhaya described Mr Lehmann as quiet man who had few visitors.

"He was very quiet, a very gentlemanly type," he said.

"I've never seen him talk to too many people."

Mr Lehmann often tended the unit block's common area garden on the weekends, he added.

AAP was/jl/de

KEYWORD: LEHMANN NIGHTLEAD (CHANGES KEYWORD)

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