A Dubbo man has admitted he stole $600 worth of items from a dead man.
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Norman Button, 53, formerly of Lake Albert near Wagga Wagga, claims he did not know the man had died when he stole from him.
Button's victim was Daniel Murdoch - a man who was accidentally stabbed to death at Tolland in the early hours of May 16, 2017 after he had an altercation with now jailed killer Tristan James Lee.
Court documents reveal that as Murdoch was dying in a driveway he asked a witness to take his backpack to a nearby address.
The witness took the backpack there, it was emptied on a bed and Button picked up items from the bag - including mobile phones, a router and iPod - and put them in his own bag.
Police said he was fully aware he had no permission to take the property but when they later spoke to him he admitted he took it and said he didn't know Murdoch was dead. The items were returned.
In Dubbo Local Court on Monday magistrate Brian Van Zuylen sentenced Button to 50 hours of community service and a 12-month community corrections order that requires him to be of good behaviour.
Button's legal representative told the court his client suffered from schizophrenia, pleaded guilty to a larceny charge and was under the influence of the drug ice when he stole the items from the dead man.
He has now completed rehab and has not used drugs during the past six months, the court heard.
