A stepson accused of sedating his stepfather before allegedly keeping his decomposing body in the house for over a year is set to stand trial in Australia, a court has heard.
On Monday, Feb. 10, the Southport Magistrates Court heard that Tomislav Nemes, 69, “likely died of sepsis from infected bed sores sometime between August 2021 and February 2022” at the family’s Benowa, Gold Coast home, per the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).
The victim’s stepson Nikola Golem and his mother, Dragica Nemes, lived in the property with the corpse for months, the outlet stated. Mrs. Nemes has not been charged, the Sydney Morning Heraldreported.
According to the outlet, police previously said the body had a “mummified look to it.” In August 2023, 9 News reported that Golem had been arrested and charged with one count of murder. Queensland Police confirmed in an Aug. 23, 2023, release that a 48-year-old male was facing the charge.
Tomislav Nemes.
Queensland Police
Police had previously shared in an Aug. 15, 2023, news release that officers had been “called to conduct a welfare check by interstate relatives at an Edinburgh Road home” on April 17 of that year, which is when they discovered Nemes’ body.
“Initial inquiries indicate Mr Nemes may have been deceased at the address for more than 12 months,” they said at the time.
Monday’s committal hearing heard that the victim suffered from health issues including chronic lower back pain and diabetes, per the Sydney Morning Herald.
The family’s general practitioner, Ian Dickinson, told the court that Nemes was overweight and took medication for the back pain and diabetes, as well as for high blood pressure, but he stated the victim seemed to have the health issues “under control” when he last visited the clinic in January 2020, per the ABC.
Tomislav Nemes.
Queensland Police
Per the Sydney Morning Herald, Golem told an undercover police officer that he’d been giving a liquid sedative to his stepfather “for about six months to make him sleep,” so he “was unable to access money.”
The family was reportedly skeptical of “western medicine,” and the victim had allegedly been prescribed herbal remedies by a naturopath before his death, the ABC reported.
The suspect was thought to have told officers “his stepfather was bedridden, refused to see a doctor and resisted an ambulance being called to take him to hospital,” the outlet stated.
Amid the investigation, Golem allegedly told the undercover police officer to “take a hit out” on her and her colleague, offering $100,000 AUD to have them killed, per the Sydney Morning Herald.
“Due to Mr Golem asking our [undercover officer] to take a hit out on me and my colleague and offering $100,000 to kill us basically — and blow-up police stations,” detective senior constable Marie Adams said in court of police interviewing the suspect a second time, according to the ABC.
A photo of the Benowa home in Queensland.
Queensland Police
During the second interview, Golem admitted he knew his stepfather “was going to die and it was all financially based,” per the publication, citing Adams.
Regarding Golem’s alleged comments about a sedative being used, Adams said, “We could find no results that a sedative was ever issued [by the treating doctor]” telling the court that there wasn’t a record of any prescription drugs being given to Nemes during that period, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.
Golem’s defense barrister, Martin Longhurst, argued there was “no evidence that his client sedated Nemes,” per the outlet, adding that his client had “administered herbal medications to his stepfather, but did not know what the medications were.”
“It’s not alleged that my client himself caused the death,” Longhurst insisted, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. “There are various things said by my client that it seems the police are relying on as admission or confession.”
One of the doctors in court told the hearing that Nemes was likely to have been in a coma before he died, sharing, “There’s no set rule, but in all probability two or three days,” according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
The court also heard that Golem had undergone brain surgery when he was a child following an injury and might have had an intellectual disability, according to the outlet.
Golem is expected to stand trial at a later date in the Supreme Court in Brisbane, the outlet reported. The suspect has not yet entered a plea.
Queensland’s Department of Justice and barrister Longhurst did not immediately respond when contacted by us for additional information.
