News Service from House Harris

TAS: 'Body part' found after drinking session turns fatal:police

HOBART, April 1 AAP - Two men are dead and a severed body part has been discovered by their neighbours after a drinking session went awry in Hobart, police say.

Police say a 31-year-old man turned on an older drinking buddy with a hatchet and a knife after an argument, severing "a body part" and killing him before torching his home in New Norfolk about 3am (AEDT) on Wednesday.

The attacker also died from smoke inhalation from the fire, which was deliberately lit in a bedroom where the older man's body was found, police said.

There was no evidence of a third party being involved.

Police refused to say what part of the 57-year-old man's body had been severed as the heavy drinking session between the two men went wrong.

But at some stage the younger man, who lived in the same street as the older man, had dropped his mate's severed body part at a neighbour's house before returning to set fire to the home and die, police said.

Acting Inspector Adrian Bodnar said both men were drunk at the time the older man was killed by a blow to the back of his head.

"The body also had other significant injuries including a severed body part," Insp Bodnar said.

"Out of respect for the family members and for that particular deceased person, I'm not prepared to disclose what body part that was.

"A neighbour discovered a body part in their residence some time after the fire had been reported to police.

"The 31-year-old had visited that residence earlier in the night."

Insp Bodnar said the younger man's body showed signs of smoke inhalation.

Both men died at the house.

"It appears the injuries to the 57-year-old man were inflicted prior to the fire," he said.

A hatchet and a knife had been seized by police from inside the home.