Convicted murderer Brian McFarlane opens up about Andamooka stabbing death of Paul Tanzer

A miner convicted of murdering a rival during a bitter dispute over stolen opals says the harrowing incident led to two houses being destroyed.

Houses in Andamooka, with opal mine fields in the background. Picture: Ben Clark

The miner convicted of murdering a rival during a bitter dispute over stolen opals has revealed the harrowing incident left a trail of destruction in the SA outback town of Andamooka.

Two weeks ago in the Port Augusta District Court, Brian McFarlane was found guilty by jury of the stabbing murder of opal miner Paul Tanzer on November 8, 2019.

Speaking to The Advertiser during the trial, McFarlane revealed his house had been burnt down following the murder, and the house where the incident occurred had been bulldozed.

No one was ever charged for the destruction of either home, with SAPOL deeming the fire as “suspicious”.

Brian David McFarlane was found guilty of murder after a ten day trial in Port Augusta Supreme Court. Picture: Facebook

Murder victim Paul Tanzer. Picture: File

McFarlane also opened up about the moments that led up to the stabbing, which occurred in front of Mr Tanzer’s son Leith, who is the star of reality TV show Outback Opal Hunters.

Audio of the altercation leading to Mr Tanzer’s death, recorded by McFarlane, was played during the trial.

“He was trying to stomp on me, you can’t hear the stomping but he’s a big bloke and he was going for it,” McFarlane told The Advertiser.

McFarlane claims that he grabbed the pocket knife out of his toolbox, while being chased, an item he said he used as a utensil for cutting his fingernails.

He has never denied fatally stabbing Mr Tanzer, instead claiming it as an act of self defence.

“Next thing he’s trying to put his foot on my shoulder and that’s when I stabbed him in the f***ing leg to get him off.

“The knife just sliced through like butter.”

Brian McFarlane’s home in Andamooka earlier this month. Picture: Ben Clark

Aerial of Andamooka its mine fields. Picture: Ben Clark

In a taped interview played to the court following his arrest, McFarlane said he’d known Mr Tanzer for more than 25 years and had been engaged in a dispute over mining that he alleges had been done by Mr Tanzer in the backyard of Georgina Jensen, Mr Tanzer’s neighbour.

Leif Tanzer told the court the altercation was driven by the theft of $1m worth of stolen opal from the back of Paul Tanzer’s truck.

McFarlane and Paul Tanzer engaged in a verbal and physical altercation on Ms Jensen’s property, before McFarlane stabbed Mr Tanzer in the arm and leg, severing his femoral artery.

Mr Tanzer later bled to death while being driven to the Roxby Downs Hospital.

In the reality TV program Outback Opal Hunters Leif Tanzer reflected on his father’s death on the program.

“He was tough on my brother and myself, but everything he did paid off for us,” he said.

“The way he said goodbye was dying in my arms on the way to the hospital.”