Cairns Court: Brendon Paul Woolla manslaughter case heard
A man previously charged with the murder of a 47-year-old woman in Manunda has had his charge downgraded as his matter was mentioned in court.
A man previously charged with the murder of a 47-year-old woman in Manunda has had his charge downgraded to manslaughter as his matter was mentioned in court.
Brendon Paul Woolla is charged with the manslaughter of a woman he was in an “intimate relationship” with on April 8, 2022.
The woman was pronounced dead at the scene at 6.20am.
Mr Woolla was charged with murder the following day but his charge was substituted to manslaughter by the prosecution during a directions hearing on December 4, 2023.
His matter was again heard in court on May 7, during another directions hearing.
On the opening of the hearing, Magistrate Michael Dalton denied an application by the prosecution that the matter be heard in closed court.
Mr Woolla’s defence counsel Rachelle Logan presented an affidavit consisting of statements and photographs to Mr Dalton and made applications for the cross examination of two additional witnesses during the committal hearing, as well a list of witnesses.
Police prosecutor Senior Sergeant Maynard Marcum challenged the broadness of the application.
“We say effectively the application … has failed to tie the grounds sought to the evidence and framework of the case,” he said.
The court was adjourned while Mr Dalton considered the witness statements and the defence application.
Upon consideration of the prosecution’s submission Magistrate Dalton found there was no reason not to proceed with the defence’s application and continued proceedings.
The defence continued its application to cross examine family and friends saying “there is an assertion he was acting aggressively on the night towards the deceased”, and that the witnesses were with Woolla and the deceased just prior to her death.
Ms Logan argued they would be able to provide more detailed information to the relationship more broadly, and the relationship that night needed to be further explored in cross examination.
“There is a lack of particularity in the explanation of what was going on about his interactions,” Mr Dalton said in relation to the witness statements.
Senior Sergeant Marcum indicated on refinement of the purpose of the points of cross examination, the prosecution would be inclined to accept the orders.
The court was then again adjourned for the defence and prosecution to agree on the wording of the orders.
There has been no plea entered for the manslaughter charge.
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Originally published as Cairns Court: Brendon Paul Woolla manslaughter case heard
