A groomsman killed his childhood friend with a gym bar June 28, The Courier Mail reports.
The incident took place in the married man’s own home, according to court documents cited by The Courier Mail. The suspect, 36-year-old Daniel Robert McJannett, was charged with murdering 37-year-old Matthew Berry, whose wife reportedly found him dead in their Mt. Tamborine residence in late June. The two men were allegedly childhood friends.
Man allegedly murdered with gym weight bar by one of his own groomsmen https://t.co/MXv485mcMT pic.twitter.com/Bj1RhUq35V
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McJannett was allegedly one of Berry’s groomsmen at his wedding in 2021, and is now accused of beating Berry to death using a gym weight bar. He was also charged with possession of a large amount of cannabis allegedly taken from Berry’s home, with witnesses reportedly claiming Berry dealt the drug. (RELATED: Iconic Bodybuilding Star Dies Suddenly At Age 30)
Investigators allegedly found a smashed cellphone belonging to the victim, and CCTV footage recovered from the device showed McJannett on the property that afternoon, according to The Courier Mail.
The case was adjourned to July 13 at Beenleigh Magistrates Court after McJannett did not attend court and his lawyer, Jodie Allen, failed to file a bail application, the outlet reported.
“The victim in this matter lost his life through an act of violence,” Detective Inspector Chris Knight of Logan Police said, according to The Courier Mail. “To say it (the scene) was confronting is to be quite honest an understatement. We’re not looking for anybody else (over the alleged murder) at this stage.”
Berry previously served time in 2016 for drug offenses, the outlet reported. He had been charged with “drug-driving” and possessing dangerous drugs in the time leading up to the alleged murder, according to The Courier Mail.