Peter Smith was assaulted in his Mount Gambier unit in September 2023. (ABC South East SA: Eugene Boisvert)
In short:
Paul Roomes has pleaded guilty to the murder of Peter Smith in Mount Gambier last year.
The magistrate said it was the first time she had heard a guilty plea to murder in the local court.
What’s next?
Roomes will appear in the Supreme Court next month.
A man has pleaded guilty to the murder of another man in Mount Gambier last year, in what a local magistrate has described as unusual circumstances.
Paul James Roomes, 66, entered the guilty plea to murdering 65-year-old Peter Steven Smith during an appearance in the Mount Gambier Magistrates Court on Monday.
The court heard that Roomes’ appearance at the Mount Gambier courthouse was unexpected as his next court date had originally been set down for November.
The court had previously been told that Roomes, who has no fixed address, assaulted Mr Smith in his Bond Street unit on September 26, 2023, leaving him with serious injuries.
Mr Smith died in hospital soon after the assault and Roomes was arrested later that day.
Peter Smith died after he was assaulted in a Mount Gambier unit. (Supplied: Rosedale Funerals)
During his appearance on Monday, Roomes also pleaded guilty to the assault of another man, which occurred on the same day of the fatal incident last year.
Magistrate Koula Kossiavelos told the court on Tuesday that it was the first time she had presided over a guilty plea in the magistrates court and that it came as a surprise.
Roomes has been in custody since his arrest last year as he did not apply for bail during his first court appearance.
He will next appear in the Supreme Court in September.
Sentencing and trials for murder in South Australia can only take place in the Supreme Court.
The crime of murder imposes a mandatory life sentence, with a minimum non-parole period of 20 years.
