Wood chipper murder: Lawyer for woman accused of murdering her ex-partner claims she thought his gruesome death was an accident – but prosecutors claim she ‘bought’ a new lover to commit murder
- Sharon Graham, 62, accused of planning ex-lover’s murder
- Bruce Saunders, 53, was reportedly fed by a wood chipper
- The court heard that Graham thought the death was an accident
The lawyer for a woman accused of planning the murder of her ex-partner via a wood chipper has told a Queensland jury she believed his death was accidental.
Sharon Graham, 62, is on trial at the Brisbane High Court after pleading not guilty to the murder of Bruce James Saunders, 53, at a property near Gympie on 12 November 2017.
Prosecutor Greg Cummings told the jury in his opening remarks that Graham was an hour’s drive from the crime scene when Mr. Saunders was deliberately murdered, but that before that day she had persuaded her new lover, Gregory Lee Roser, to carry out the murder. feed.
Sharon Graham, 62 (left) is accused of planning the murder of her ex-lover Bruce James Saunders, 53. Graham’s lawyer told the Brisbane High Court that his client believed Mr Saunders’ death was due to of an accident
Mr Cummings told the jurors they would hear from Peter John Koenig, who would tell them that he was the only person who saw Roser hit Mr Saunders from behind with a 40 millimeter metal pipe and then repeatedly hit the victim’s head while he lay on the floor.
Mr Cummings said Mr Koenig would say that he and Roser carried Mr Saunders’ lifeless body to a large wood chipper and partially lowered his body into the machine to make it appear as if he had suffered a fatal accident during the cutting down trees to help a recent widow sell her land.
Bruce James Saunders, 53, (pictured) was killed on site, with his body placed in a wood chipper to make it look like he fell into the machine while felling trees
“Ultimately, it comes down to (Graham) having manipulative control over three individuals and as a product of that she would get very substantial amounts of money (money) that she desperately needed from Mr. Saunders,” Mr. Cummings said.
Mr. Cummings alleged that Graham, living on a disability pension of just over $800 a fortnight, killed Mr. Saunders to inherit his house, car, $125,000 in pension and $750,000 in life insurance.
In a brief opening statement to the defense on Thursday, Graham’s lawyer Peter Richards said it was not in dispute that his client was the beneficiary of Mr Saunders’ will and insurance policies.
“Sharon Graham did not ask, advise or persuade Mr. Roser or Mr. Koenig to kill Mr. Saunders,” Mr. Richards said.
“As far as Sharon Graham noted at the time, Mr. Saunders died as a result of an accident and … one of the most important issues in this process is the credibility and reliability of Peter John Koenig.”
The trial will take 16 more hearings before Judge Peter Callaghan.