Dramatic jury verdict after Gold Coast mum Kelly Wilkinson was stabbed and set on fire by her ex-husband
A man accused of ‘helping’ the killer of Gold Coast mother Kelly Wilkinson by driving him to her home and filling a jerry can with petrol on the way has been cleared of murder.
Bradley Bell was on trial in the Brisbane Supreme Court, where he was charged with the murder of Ms Wilkinson, 28, in April 2021.
Mrs Wilkinson was murdered by her ex-husband Brian Earl Johnston, who broke into her Arundel home on the morning of 20 April that year. He stabbed her multiple times, doused her with petrol and set her alight.
Mr Bell is not accused of murdering Mrs Wilkinson.
During the trial, the prosecution alleged that he “aided or abetted” Johnston by driving him to his ex-wife’s address and filling a jerry can with petrol along the way.
It was further alleged that Mr Bell was aware of Johnston’s plan to murder his ex-wife, including a specific plan to ‘tie her up and burn her’.
On Friday, Mr. Bell was acquitted by a jury of murder and manslaughter.
That same afternoon he left the court free.
Kelly Wilkinson (pictured) was murdered by her estranged ex-husband Brian Earl Johnston, who stabbed her repeatedly before dousing her with fuel and setting her on fire in April 2021.
Bradley Bell (pictured) was acquitted by a jury on Friday of murder and the alternative charge of manslaughter
Several of Mr. Bell’s and Johnston’s colleagues testified at the trial, as did detectives involved in Mr. Bell’s investigation and arrest.
Mr. Bell also testified when the prosecution closed its case against him.
Ed Whitton, Mr Bell’s lawyer, had told the jury on the first day of the trial that their focus would be on determining whether the prosecution had proven beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr Bell “knew or anticipated what Johnston intended to do”.
“Bradley Bell didn’t kill anyone,” Mr. Whitton said.
Brian Earl Johnston (pictured) is serving a life sentence for the murder of Mrs Wilkinson
Bell had driven Mrs. Wilkinson’s killer to her house
He urged the jury to consider the evidence fairly and objectively, including the recorded interview between Mr Bell and police.
“Please understand that there will be two sides to this story by the time this trial is over,” Whitton said.
“I can tell you now… you’re going to hear an explanation from Bradley Bell as to why he said those things to the police.”
Johnston was jailed for life earlier this year for the murder of Mrs Wilkinson and has pleaded not guilty to four counts of rape, which he alleged were committed against his ex-wife in the weeks before he killed her.