Quinn McPherson stopped the chokehold only after realising his friend’s lips were turning blue.
A tradie will have to live with the burden of his friend’s death for the rest of his life after the man lost consciousness during a drug-fuelled play fighting session.
Victorian Supreme Court Justice James Elliott accepted Quinn McPherson’s grief as he sentenced the 21-year-old to a three-year community corrections order.
The South Australian carpenter was originally charged with manslaughter over his friend Alex Robinson’s death but he ultimately pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of reckless conduct endangering life.
McPherson, Robinson, and two other men had spent hours drinking vodka, and beer and doing lines of cocaine before they returned to their Melbourne holiday rental on the morning of May 13, 2023.
McPherson and Robinson began play fighting in the apartment and McPherson placed his friend in a chokehold.
He kept Robinson in that position for several minutes, with McPherson only stopping after realising his friend’s lips were turning blue.
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McPherson and the two other friends called an ambulance and tried to perform CPR but Robinson died at the scene.
An autopsy found his cause of death to be undetermined.
McPherson told police they had been play fighting and the pair were good friends so he did not intend to hurt him.
In sentencing on March 27, Justice Elliott accepted there was no animosity between the pair and Robinson’s death was a tragedy.
But he noted the “play fighting” was inherently dangerous and had the potential for a catastrophic outcome, which unfortunately eventuated.
“Tragically, you are now before the court for sentencing as those potential consequences have come to pass,” Justice Elliott said.
The judge also accepted McPherson had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity and the 21-year-old was extremely remorseful for his actions.
“Alex was your friend,” he said.
“There’s no doubt you have suffered the burden of his loss and you will so for the rest of your life.”
Justice Elliott found it was very unlikely McPherson would reoffend and the 21-year-old had taken steps to address his drug and alcohol usage.
He sentenced McPherson to a three-year community corrections order with 200 hours of unpaid community work.
He will also have to undergo drug and alcohol treatment, with the order being completed in his home state of South Australia.
