A STOLEN bottle of pure methadone left one man dead and another in hospital, a court has heard.
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The one-litre bottle, allegedly nabbed from a Nova Pharmacy in Ballarat on November 14, was divvied up and consumed by two men over a disastrous two-day period.
A third man, Darcy Kroezen, 25, applied for bail at the Ballarat Magistrates Court on Tuesday after being charged with possession of half a litre of methadone, however he was not charged with stealing the bottle.
Police prosecutor Senior Constable Clint Prebble told the court a man, who was found unresponsive at a Windermere Street address on November 15, was put on life support at the Ballarat Health Service’s Base Hospital after a methadone overdose.
The man later died in hospital on November 19.
Senior Constable Prebble said the deceased man’s housemate told police on November 21 the man had consumed four to five days’ worth of methadone after allegedly receiving the opioid from a man called “Tim”.
The court heard how another man, Tim Rodger, 24, allegedly entered the Nova pharmacy on November 14 and stole an undiluted bottle of methadone.
Later that day Rodger was admitted to Ballarat Health Service’s Base Hospital after suffering an overdose.
Rodger, who has been charged with theft and possess buprenorphine (undiluted methadone), later discharged himself from hospital.
The court heard police received an anonymous tip-off on November 20
and searched Kroezen’s Sebastopol home the next day, finding 500 millilitres of methadone, 10 grams of cannabis and cash.
Kroezen’s defence lawyer, Jeremy Harper, said his client wasn’t responsible for the “tragic” story.
“He (Kroezen) has never met the deceased man,” he said.
Mr Harper said Kroezen, who was aware Rodger had allegedly stolen the methadone, rang Ballarat Health Services Base Hospital to explain what substance Rodger had taken.
Kroezen, who was also charged with possessing cannabis and breach of bail conditions, was granted bail by magistrate Cynthia Toose.
Police chose not to oppose the bail application and Kroezen was ordered to reappear at the Ballarat Magistrates Court on November 27.
Rodger will appear at the Ballarat Magistrates Court on February 2.
