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KEN Proctor was a new grandfather and a friendly neighbour in his community, only to die after being bashed for watering his lawn.The water rage victim's family yesterday said Mr Proctor, 66, was a "gentle giant" who adored his four-week-old granddaughter Reegan.
The retiree had worked for Sutherland Council for 28 years, had been a soccer manager for two local clubs, and was a pillar of the community.
On Wednesday about 5.30pm, he was watering the lawn at his home in Sylvania, in Sydney's south, as he was legally entitled to.
Police allege his neighbour, Todd Munter, started arguing about water restrictions and Mr Proctor was seen to turn the hose on him before Mr Munter allegedly punched and pushed the grandfather to the ground and then kicked him.
An off-duty police officer intervened and arrested the 36-year-old.
Mr Proctor was treated by ambulance officers and rushed to hospital in a critical condition but died soon after.
Sutherland Court was yesterday told Mr Munter was a depressed 36-year-old who took a range of prescription drugs, including morphine, for a chronic back injury.
As they struggled with his senseless death, Mr Proctor's wife of almost 40 years, Lyn, his son Mark and daughter Michelle yesterday said he was a loving family man.
Mrs Proctor and her children said Mr Proctor was a devoted South Sydney rugby league club supporter and a great neighbour who had been delighted recently to become a grandfather.
"He was a long-time Rabbitohs supporter and a gentle giant. He was a father, a husband and a proud grandfather," family said in a statement.
"He used to be a soccer manager. If he knew you and knew you played soccer he would go and watch you play."
The family said he had only recently finished renovating his two-storey family home.
"He loved his garden. He was a great neighbour. He always said hello," the family said. "He loved children, he loved life and he loved racing and the trots."
Mr Proctor retired from driving a truck for Sutherland Council in 2002 after 28 years.
His strong work ethic earned him the nickname of Don Bradman, with workmates saying once he got in the truck, it was very hard to get him out.
"I've known him 20 years. I'm pretty devastated, as is everyone. He was a fun-loving bloke," former colleague Bob Hamilton said yesterday.
Sutherland Court was told Mr Munter, who has been charged with murder, had sought help for several screws coming loose in his back just hours before the incident.
Dressed in an open-collar shirt and no shoes, Mr Munter almost broke down in court yesterday. He did not apply for bail and is due to appear in Central Local Court on November 15.
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Pvednes had this to say about Robocop:
Man murdered for watering lawn
The old guy probably should have taken the high road and not sprayed his unstable neighbor with a hose for mouthing off.
Not that I'm justifying the murdering asshole in any way, just that it was a bit childish on the old man's part.
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Zair had this to say about Knight Rider:
The old guy probably should have taken the high road and not sprayed his unstable neighbor with a hose for mouthing off.Not that I'm justifying the murdering asshole in any way, just that it was a bit childish on the old man's part.
I knew someone was gonna comment on that. If someone's ranting and raving at you while you have a hose, what the hell are you gonna do? It's not like you think the reaction going to be death.
It wasn't even the guy's business to be bitching at him in the first place. That's the police official's job (which oho there happened to be an off-duty one standing right around). Mr. Gainsborough fucked around with this message on 11-01-2007 at 12:55 PM.
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Check out the big brain on Mr. Gainsborough!
I knew someone was gonna comment on that. If someone's ranting and raving at you while you have a hose, what the hell are you gonna do? It's not like you think the reaction going to be death.
I personally would tell them to mind their own business, and if I know I am in the right, tell them to go ahead and get a cop. If they won't back down, call a cop myself.
To spray someone with a hose who is arguing with you and not expect that to escalate the situation is crazy.
***not saying he was asking for / deserving death***
Short version: If you are arguing with a crazy, probably don't provoke them. Zair fucked around with this message on 11-01-2007 at 01:09 PM.
And you're acting like this guy is completely off his rocker which he obviously wasn't. Anyone with the brainpower to figure out that someone isn't following watering restrictions should know not to punch a 66 year old man. Mr. Gainsborough fucked around with this message on 11-01-2007 at 02:25 PM.
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Nobody really understood why Zair wrote:
The old guy probably should have taken the high road and not sprayed his unstable neighbor with a hose for mouthing off.
....
There is point were men get to in their advanced years were they are simply to old to give a flying fuck anymore.
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So quoth Zair:
The old guy probably should have taken the high road and not sprayed his unstable neighbor with a hose for mouthing off.Not that I'm justifying the murdering asshole in any way, just that it was a bit childish on the old man's part.
The first problem here is that you are making the assumption that Mr. Proctor knew that Mr. Munter was unstable, and was on a heavy amount of prescription drugs. If you spray a regular someone with a hose, they tend not to punch, and proceed to beat you, especially if you are an elderly man.
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Anakha's Wii had this to say about (_|_):
The first problem here is that you are making the assumption that Mr. Proctor knew that Mr. Munter was unstable, and was on a heavy amount of prescription drugs. If you spray a regular someone with a hose, they tend not to punch, and proceed to beat you, especially if you are an elderly man.
Fight Club.
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Nobody really understood why Mr. Gainsborough wrote:
It was my understanding that it's pretty legal for me to spray someone with a hose to get them off my property, especially if they're being threatening.
Firstly, this was Australia, so who the hell knows.
Secondly, it didn't say the guy was on his property when he was sprayed, so, again, who the hell knows.
Thirdly, this is just a matter of opinion, in that I don't think spraying someone with your hose during an argument is a good idea if you don't want to be punched in the face. You disagree with me.
Maybe I'm just overcautious in who I spray with hoses or something.
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Maradon! had this to say about Matthew Broderick:
For some people, blaming the victim just becomes a habit I guess.
It's blaming the victim inasmuch as that O'Reilly comment about the girl who walked home drunk at night getting raped and killed was blaming the victim.
You can't have it both ways.
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Zairing:
It's blaming the victim inasmuch as that O'Reilly comment about the girl who walked home drunk at night getting raped and killed was blaming the victim.You can't have it both ways.
Except one is true and one isn't.
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Maradon! said this about your mom:
You probably don't expect them to beat you to death.
Didn't say I did. But Gains is acting like it's a totally normal act to spray someone with a hose if they're annoying you and there's no reason to be upset at it.
I don't know why anyone is defending the murderer here.
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Mr. Gainsborough got all f'ed up on Angel Dust and wrote:
[QB]Has anyone even thought of the fact that the man might've even knew he was provoking him but didn't think he would get killed for it? It sounds like the guy was probably pissing him off quite a bit.QB]
Go back and read my first post which I guess kicked this off. I don't know how this got warped into "he deserved to die for soaking someone."
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Ares had this to say about Pirotess:
I'm with Gains on this on. Sure, it further pissed the guy off but I think I would have sprayed this asshole with the hose too. You can't predict that you're going to get killed or even beaten up over a spray from a hose.
Getting killed, no. Getting beat up, yes. If you spray an irate person with a hose when they're complaining about water use, there's a very good chance that person will retaliate. In no way does that mean said retaliation is justified, but a reasonable person should at least expect the possibility. The thing is, we don't have enough info in the article to determine what happened; whether he meant to kill the guy, how many times he was kicked, etc.
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Everyone wondered WTF when Sakkra wrote:
Getting killed, no. Getting beat up, yes. If you spray an irate person with a hose when they're complaining about water use, there's a very good chance that person will retaliate. In no way does that mean said retaliation is justified, but a reasonable person should at least expect the possibility. The thing is, we don't have enough info in the article to determine what happened; whether he meant to kill the guy, how many times he was kicked, etc.
Okay, but would you, in the heat of an argument think logically at the time? I know that I've done things in the heat of the moment that I otherwise wouldn't do. (I have a habit of throwing shit...). I'm sure the old man reacted in just the same way. I realize none of you are saying he should have been beaten up and or killed, but you're defending his right to be pissed enough to be violent. What about the old man's right to be pissed enough to spray the man with a hose that is handy? At least the old man wasn't violent. It's all heat of the moment actions that I think we tend to overlook.
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Demos's account was hax0red to write:
Slapstick is dead.
Well, now it is. 
"Old guy didn't have to spray his hose at him." Yes, but the dude didn't have to kill old guy, either.
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ArchAngel was listening to Cher while typing:
I really think all they're saying is if you spray somebody who is pissed with a hose, expect to get punched... not 'expect to get killed'.
Exactly. Gains, in particular, said that spraying someone who is pissed at you with a hose is a perfectly reasonable response and there should be no recourse because it is "legal" to spray someone with a hose who is threatening you on your own property.
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Quoth ArchAngel:
I really think all they're saying is if you spray somebody who is pissed with a hose, expect to get punched... not 'expect to get killed'.
Why is no one saying that if you go on someone's property to yell at them while they've got a hose, you should pretty much expect to be sprayed? What did the idiot think was going to happen?
--Satan, quoted by John Milton
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Bloodsage had this to say about the Spice Girls:
Why is no one saying that if you go on someone's property to yell at them while they've got a hose, you should pretty much expect to be sprayed? What did the idiot think was going to happen?
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And I was all like 'Oh yeah?' and Bloodsage was all like:
Why is no one saying that if you go on someone's property to yell at them while they've got a hose, you should pretty much expect to be sprayed? What did the idiot think was going to happen?
I should note that I agree with that too.
Either way, I'd spray.
Also the murdering assholes, apparently.
It'd be karma, really.
