Michael Henley: How ‘love bites’ on woman’s neck sparked a jealous boyfriend’s deadly road rage rampage in Adelaide

A man killed his ‘best friend’ by repeatedly ramming a car he was in after noticing love bites on his ex-girlfriend’s neck, a court heard.

Michael Henley, 24, from Morphett Vale in Adelaide, drove behind another vehicle and repeatedly crashed into it until it rolled, killing passenger Nicholas Darling, 20, about 9:50pm on July 20, 2021.

Henley and Joshua Shawn Rossborough, 21, from Morphett Vale – a passenger in the car – appeared in the High Court on Tuesday to hear the sentences, they said. The advertiser.

Henley pleaded guilty to manslaughter and leaving the scene of an accident, while Rossborough pleaded guilty to obstructing an investigation and driving charges.

Lawyer Andrew Culshaw, defending Henley, said his client was outraged that the driver of the other car – Lewis Bennett – had seen his ex-partner.

Nicholas Darling tragically died in the incident

When she visited with their daughter Henley, “she noticed love bites on her neck,” Culshaw told the court.

“That began the chain of events that ended in tragedy,” Mr Culshaw added.

Mr Culshaw said his client had ‘intermittent explosive disorder’ and ‘had nothing on his mind at the time but blind rage’.

He said that although his client was “criminally culpable”, he “never intended this to happen” and had written a letter of apology.

“Mr Darling’s death was an accident,” Mr Culshaw said.

“This is a case where Henley lives every day knowing he killed someone he, at least once, considered his best friend.”

In a victim impact statement, the victim’s father, Brian Darling, revealed his devastation at the loss of his son.

“The feeling of loss is so intense, I want to die too to be with you,” Mr Darling said.

Henley and Rossborough will both be sentenced at a later date.

CCTV footage captured part of the fatal chase (pictured)