STEWART Wilson and Brad Walker walked the few hundred metres home in Corowa on Friday night dissecting the fight that had occurred less than an hour earlier.

Mr Wilson, 18, and Mr Walker, 20, had been best friends since primary school and the pair, along with a handful of other friends, had been out for their regular Friday night happy hour before stopping at McDonald’s in Sanger Street about 9.30pm.

A fight broke out and Mr Wilson was, unusually, involved in the altercation that has since been linked to his death.

“He was a lover, not a fighter,” Mr Walker said.

Witnesses said Mr Wilson received a headbutt to the right temple and, after the fight ended, he appeared dazed and told friends he wanted to go home.

Mr Walker and Mr Wilson walked around the corner to Mr Wilson’s Henry Street home where Mr Wilson shook his friend’s hand and told him he was a “top bloke” before walking inside.

That was the last time Mr Walker spoke to his best friend.

Mr Wilson was found dead inside the home on Saturday at 12.30pm. His parents had been away bushwalking.

The circumstances of Mr Wilson’s death are under police investigation and a 16-year-old high school student has been charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Another friend and witness, who did not want to be named, said Mr Wilson did not deserve to die.

“I hope that people out there can see that fighting doesn’t solve anything. It makes things worse. Just a shame it takes something like this to make us realise,” he said.

Corowa mayor Fred Longmire, who was related to Mr Wilson by marriage, said the death had devastated Mr Wilson’s parents Ken and Lisa, sister Isabella, and rocked the community.

“It’s destroyed a close-knit family,” Cr Longmire said.

“A lot of soul-searching is being done as to how these things happen and no one has got answers anywhere.”

Mr Walker said Mr Wilson lived life to its fullest — he had recently returned from a trip to Nepal with his father and he had been working at Brown Brothers at Milawa saving money for university next year.

He said his intelligent and kind-hearted friend had his sights set on studying a bachelor of medical radiation science at Charles Sturt University at Wagga.

“He was the life of every party, the funniest and most easy-going guy I’d ever met.

“He was stubborn, arrogant, opinionated and rude as hell, but that’s what made him who he was, and we loved him for it,” Mr Walker said.

Mr Walker was one of several friends who paid tribute to the fun- loving, easy-going former Corowa High School student yesterday.

Mr Wilson loved video games, loved the outdoors — especially with his dog Flash, DJing with friends and playing tennis and hockey.

Mr Wilson’s name was still on the team sheet to play at the Albury Easter Hockey Carnival.

A minute’s silence was held at the pitch yesterday and his team, made up of players from Corowa and Rutherglen, played and won the mixed B-grade final.

It was an emotional scene when they clinched victory in extra time. The team dedicated its win to Mr Wilson and presented the flag to his family.

Mr Walker said family always came first for Mr Wilson but another person had sneaked into his life.

He said Mr Wilson had started seeing a girl and had fallen in love for the first time.

“Every time I asked him where he was, he’d only have to reply, ‘Have a guess’.

“I think Stewie had the perfect life. And I miss him so much. I love the guy, he’s my best friend and brother, forever,” Mr Walker said.