Kelly Wilkinson: Driver accused of dropping off killer husband at mum’s home before she was doused in petrol and burned to death will face murder trial
A man accused of bringing Kelly Wilkinson’s convicted killer to her Queensland home will stand trial for murder after allegedly knowing about her estranged husband’s brutal plan.
Bradley Bell was charged with the murder of the Gold Coast mother, three months after she was killed by her estranged husband Brian Earl Johnston on April 20, 2021.
Johnston has since been sentenced to life imprisonment after pleading guilty to Mrs Wilkinson’s murder.
Kelly Wilkinson was murdered by her estranged husband Brian Earl Johnston in 2021
Queensland police have charged Bradley Bell with murder months after Ms Wilkinson’s death
The former US Marine had doused the mother of his children with gasoline and set her on fire when he ambushed her at the back of her home.
Bell’s case was heard in the Brisbane Supreme Court on Thursday.
His lawyer Edwin Whitton told the court he wanted to cancel the original July trial date so that his client would undergo a psychiatrist’s examination in June.
The court was told that Bell had ‘retroactively’ raised concerns with his legal team about whether his police interviews would be admissible in court.
Mr Whitton said he could not ‘say for certain’ whether the psychiatric report would ‘call into question’ these pre-trial police interviews.
Crown prosecutor Philip McCarthy told the court he was ready to go to trial with the police interviews, which are expected to be used as part of the prosecution’s evidence.
Brian Johnston has been convicted of the murder of Kelly Wilkinson
Mr McCarthy said that during the series of interviews, Mr Bell allegedly told police he had “inside knowledge” of what Mr Johnston planned to do when he arrived at Ms Wilkinson’s home.
‘He (allegedly) admitted to driving Mr Johnston to the house after (allegedly) being told by Mr Johnston that he intended to kill his wife and was captured on CCTV (allegedly) admits to filling the metal container with gasoline. that information,” Mr. McCarthy said.
Under Queensland law, a person can be found guilty of murder for having knowledge of the alleged circumstances leading to a person’s death.
Judge Peter Callaghan set the new trial date for July 29 and ordered the defense request to be heard on July 8.
Mr. Bell has yet to enter a formal plea.