Scott Minigle pleads guilty to detaining girlfriend Jodie Lovell on Sydney hotel balcony before fatal fall
A man has pleaded guilty to locking his girlfriend on the balcony of a Sydney hotel before she fell to her death.
Scott Minigle says he was jealous about messages Jodie Lovell had received from another man, but never wanted to harm her.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Man locked girlfriend on balcony of high rise before she fell to her death.
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Twenty minutes later, the 45-year-old mother of two’s body was found on a level-one rooftop.
Minigle said he read through texts in her phone when he came across messages “from a bloke” that were “a bit suggestive”.
“That’s what stirred the pot,” he told police.
Minigle called reception when he noticed Lovell was gone, saying: “I think my girlfriend jumped from the balcony.”
The last time he saw her, she was “standing on a chair”.
A police investigation that tested multiple theories concluded Minigle did not cause her death.
But he was charged with detaining a person for psychological gratification, a domestic violence offence that carries a maximum term of 14 years behind bars.
He will be sentenced at a later date.
Originally published on 7NEWS
