Vic: Man says dad forced him into beating grandmother to death

AAP General News (Australia)
08-28-2000
Vic: Man says dad forced him into beating grandmother to death

A Melbourne court has been told a man who confessed to beating 79-year-old grandmother
to death says his father forced him to do it to get the inheritance.

JAPALJARRI, formerly known as BRENT ANDREW HOCKING, pleaded NOT guilty to murder, arson
and burglary.

Crown prosecutor GEOFF HORGAN told the Supreme Court jury that before the killing,
JAPALJARRI had twice ransacked the woman's Box Hill unit and had also fire-bombed it by
throwing a Molotov cocktail through a window.

Mr HORGAN says PHYLIS HOCKING was found dead in a pool of blood at her son's home on
October 26, 1993.

The murder went unsolved until late in 1998 when people came forward and told police
JAPALJARRI had confessed to the murder, the arson attack and burglary.

However, he said there was no evidence to suggest JAPALJARRI'S father PHILIP HOCKING
had influenced him.

The trial before Justice FRANK VINCENT is continuing.

AAP RTV sew/jd/jcc/jn

KEYWORD: JAPALJARRI (MELBOURNE)

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