Guilty plea over man’s stab death
A CONNEWARRE man who fatally stabbed another man in a Whittington home and then triggered a five-day manhunt has entered a new plea.
Joshua Luke Hocking, 37, appeared before the Victorian Supreme Court on Tuesday morning and pleaded guilty to a charge of manslaughter.
Hocking was accused of stabbing Geoffrey McDonald, 47, in his Planet Court home about 3pm on October 14, 2020.
A 17-year-old man in the home at the time of the incident discovered Mr McDonald
with life-threatening injuries. Mr McDonald later died in hospital.
At the time, police said they believed Mr McDonald and Hocking were known to each other.
Following the stabbing, Hocking and a woman fled
the scene in a purple sedan that was later discovered abandoned by police.
After a search of multiple homes, they located Hocking in Corio.
At the time of the manhunt, the Geelong Advertiser revealed that Hocking had been jailed twice for violent crimes, including a family violence matter.
In the second matter, Hocking was given a five-year jail stint for an invasion of a
Bell Park home, where he was accused of hitting his victim with a hammer.
Hocking will return to the Supreme Court on September 9.