EXCLUSIVE
A grieving father has spoken out after his son allegedly died in a dispute over fallen branches following years of complaints about the neighbour’s towering gum tree.
Edgar Campos, 42, has been charged with murdering Michael Wickham, 60, during a confrontation at Mount Pritchard, in Sydney’s southwest, on Saturday.
Wickham lived with his father John Franks on Streeton Avenue, next to a two-bedroom house owned by Campos that fronts Townview Road.
A large gum tree stands in the backyard of the Townview Road house and hangs over the cottage Mr. Franks has occupied for almost 60 years.
Campos bought the Townview Road property in 2009, but began renting it out after moving to a four-bedroom place about half a mile away, on Dargie Street, in 2013.
According to Mr. Franks, he and his son had repeatedly complained to Campos about the gum tree, which often dropped branches on their property.
“We’ve always asked him to cut it,” Mr. Franks said. ‘But no, I’ve never done anything.
“I almost got stabbed once because the branches kept breaking during storms.”
John Franks (left) said he and his son Michael Wickham (right) had repeatedly complained to Campos about a gum tree in the backyard of a house they owned.
The grieving father says he complained for years about his neighbor’s gum tree before his son allegedly died in a dispute over fallen branches. John Franks appears at the Mount Pritchard house in Sydney’s western suburbs, where he lived with his son Michael Wickham.
A wild storm that hit Sydney on Saturday afternoon caused more tree branches to fall and Wickham allegedly drove to confront Campos on nearby Dargie Street.
CCTV footage allegedly showed Mr Wickham arriving at Campos’ home and the couple involved in an altercation which involved shouting in each other’s faces while pushing and shoving each other.
Separate security footage allegedly showed the pair throwing punches before Campos allegedly wrapped his legs around Wickham and threw him to the ground.
Onlookers gathered around as paramedics attended and tried to revive Mr Wickham, who died at the scene.
Mr. Franks was not aware of any conversations his son had with Campos on Saturday or the precise events on Dargie Street.
“I don’t know what happened,” he said. “The police have a statement from me.”
Campos was arrested at the scene and taken to the Fairfield police station, where he was charged with murder.
A large gum tree (above) stands in the backyard of a home Edgar Campos owns and looms over the cabin Mr. Franks has occupied for nearly 60 years.
Branches from the gum tree had been cut in Franks’ neighbor’s driveway when Daily Mail Australia visited on Monday.
She appeared via audio-visual link at Parramatta Local Court on Monday when bail was not applied for and was formally refused.
Franks, who is in the early stages of dementia, was standing in the front yard of his home on Monday when Daily Mail Australia spoke to him.
Branches from the gum tree had been cut in his neighbor’s driveway, while other branches and foliage were piled outside the front fence, surrounded by State Emergency Service tape.
“That’s part of the problem,” Mr. Franks said, pointing to the piles. This damn thing here is the other half. “It practically broke off and went everywhere.”
Franks said the gum tree had been growing almost as long as he lived on Streeton Avenue.
“The tree was planted a couple of years after we all moved in,” he said. ‘The Fairfield council came and gave two bushes to each of us.
‘I got rid of ours because it had some mistake, it was a skinny little thing. But that’s what they gave us, as a kind of starting point.’
A Streeton Avenue neighbor who did not want to be named said the tree had posed a danger and been a nuisance to residents other than Mr Franks and Mr Wickham.
“It just falls, leaves go everywhere,” he said.
Franks, pictured outside his home, wasn’t sure how he was going to manage alone, but he had friends who had said they would help him.
On Monday, branches from the gum tree were piled outside Franks’ front fence, surrounded by State Emergency Service tape.
Three cars were parked in the driveway of Campos’ home on Monday (above), but a woman who spoke through the front door said no one inside wanted to talk.
Franks said his only son, who had been his full-time carer for the past decade, was a “jack of all trades” and liked working on cars.
“A truly spectacular character,” he said. “All the kids here loved him.”
Mr. Franks wasn’t sure how he was going to manage on his own, but he had friends who had told him they would help him.
What worried him most was arranging a funeral for his son once the autopsy was completed.
The Streeton Avenue resident said Wickham had been a popular member of the community.
“Michael is a very good man, he helps everyone,” she said. ‘He cared about the father, he is good for the neighbors. Michael is an excellent man.’
Franks did not know what Campos did or if he had a family.
“I didn’t have much to do with him,” he said. “I met him when he first moved here.”
Three cars were parked in the driveway of Campos’ home Monday, but a woman who spoke through the front door said no one inside wanted to talk.
“We’re not going to talk to journalists, thank you very much,” he said.
Anyone who witnessed the alleged incident or who has CCTV or dash cam is asked to contact Crime Stoppers.
Campos will return to Parramatta Local Court on February 27.