Bizarre sex death of model Aussie preacher

Sydney's Baptist community is reeling following the bizarre death of one its leaders.

Daniel Verbanaz, a pastor at Ashfield Spanish Baptist Church, was found by his distraught wife bound and unconscious at his home in Greystanes on Thursday.

Australian police are not treating the death as suspicious. An autopsy will be held to determine the cause of death but police sources said Mr Verbanaz may have died while attempting an act of auto-erotic asphyxiation.

Chief executive officer of Baptist Community Services June Heinrich confirmed detectives had seized a computer from Mr Verbanaz's home.

"Whether it has shed any light on the situation, I do not know," she said.

"This has come as a tremendous shock, not just to the church but the local Spanish community in which Daniel was so highly regarded. My thoughts are with his family and his congregation."

Police confirmed that at 4.30pm on Thursday officers went to a house at Burra Place, Greystanes, where ambulance officers were trying to revive a man who was tied up. It is understood a knife was lying nearby.

Next door neighbour Alan Stevenson said: "It all happened very quickly.

"Police cordoned off the area. We asked what was going on but they were very cagey about what had actually happened."

Mr Stevenson described Mr Verbanaz as "polite" and "very reserved".

"He, his wife and their young daughter have been in the street for around five years. They keep themselves to themselves."

Ashfield Baptist Church Reverend John Morrison said he was "stunned" when he received a phone call from Mr Verbanaz's wife, Esther, on Friday morning.

"She rang to say Daniel had died. She said she had arrived home from work to find him dead. I asked 'How?' and she said it was a suspected heart attack. There was no indication from her that there was anything untoward or suspicious about his passing."

He added: "It's come as a great shock to everyone who knew him. He was a wonderful guy, a devoted family man."

Apart from his church duties, Mr Verbanaz was heavily involved with Ashfield's Spanish Friendship Group. Friend and group member Chely Polonsky described Mr Verbanaz as a "role model".

"This is horrible, terrible news," Ms Polonsky said. "He was such a wonderful man. Nothing was too much trouble for him. If someone in the community had problems, he was there to help."

She added: "I knew something was wrong on Friday because he hadn't turned up to our regular meeting. It wasn't like him. Then, an hour later, the reverend called up and said 'He is dead.' "

- © Fairfax NZ News