Headless torso case: Murder-accused claims she heard a bang

THE ex-wife of slain Coolum Football Club president George Gerbic has told the jury in the man’s murder trial he hit her during their marriage and had a number of affairs. His new partner is accused of killing him.

Lindy Williams is accused of killing George Gerbic and dumping his headless torso on the side of a road near Gympie.

• Accused tells why she didn’t go to cops
• Gerbic ‘struggling with sexuality’

THE ex-wife of slain Coolum Football Club president George Gerbic has told the jury in the man’s murder trial he “occasionally” hit her during their marriage.

Mr Gerbic’s new partner, Lindy Williams, 60, is on trial in the Brisbane Supreme Court for his murder in 2013.

She has pleaded not guilty to killing 66-year-old Mr Gerbic but guilty to disposing of his body.

Mr Gerbic’s headless, legless and armless torso was found burning on the side of the road near Gympie on September 19, 2013.

Lindy Williams and George Gerbic.

It took police more than 10 months to identify his remains because they were unable to match his DNA to any on file.

During the third day of Williams’ murder trial Mr Gerbic’s ex-wife of 20 years, Cheryl Aiken, today gave evidence of alleged violence in their relationship.

The jury were shown an email she had sent to the Coolum Football Club saying Mr Gerbic had been violent toward her.

“He abused his first girlfriend, his first wife, then me, slept around and much worse … if people knew what I went thru (sic) he would be in prison,” Ms Aiken wrote.

Under cross-examination by defence barrister Simon Lewis, Ms Aiken said she had “exaggerated” in the email.

“I’m an extrovert, I have a way with words and I don’t hold back, so I was probably angry at the time,” she told the jury.

Lindy Yvonne Williams is accused of killing her de facto partner.

The court heard Ms Aiken had told police in August 2014 Mr Gerbic had punched, pushed and verbally assaulted her once every six months while they were married.

She also said he was a “womaniser”, the jury was told.

“Only when I had little babies and he was much younger, in his 30s and 40s,” Ms Aiken said under cross-examination.

Mr Lewis asked her: “George enjoyed having relationships with other women and he had a number of affairs with other women?”

“Yes, he did,” Ms Aiken replied.

“It’s that you were no longer willing to accept those indiscretions that you moved on?” Mr Lewis continued.

“Yes, exactly,” Ms Aiken said, later adding she had once found Mr Gerbic in bed with a Swedish model.

Earlier in the day, the wife of former federal MP Mal Brough, Suzannah Brough, gave evidence Williams and Mr Gerbic had joined the LNP and were expected to volunteer at the polling booth during September 2013 federal election.

She told the court Williams and Mr Gerbic had come into the campaign office to collect T-shirts shortly before the election, excited because they had “just got engaged”.

“They said they were off to get married in Las Vegas … they were very, very happy,” Ms Brough said.

The court heard the pair claimed they were unwell and could not volunteer at the booth on election day.

It was not until October 2013 when Ms Brough received an email from Mr Gerbic’s account saying the pair would be abroad for several months.

“We are away!!! Back February 2014. Now the country is in great hands, WELL DONE,” the email showed to the jury read.

“Lindy and I are engaged!!! Wedding in Vegas. 3rd (sic) time lucky. George Gerbic.”

The crown have alleged Williams sent emails from Mr Gerbic’s email account after his death.

Mr Gerbic’s son, Simon Gerbic, gave evidence he had received birthday and Christmas greetings from his father’s email account after his disappearance but before his remains had been identified.

The emails claimed he and Williams were overseas at the time.

The trial continues.

EARLIER: ‘I heard a bang,’ says murder-accused

A QUEENSLAND woman accused of murdering her de facto partner and dumping his torso on the side of a road claimed he may have fatally hit his head as she was defending herself from him with a bar stool and that she heard a bang, a court has heard.

Lindy Yvonne Williams, 60, has pleaded not guilty in Brisbane Supreme Court to murdering George Gerbic on the Sunshine Coast in 2013, claiming he died after hitting his head on a kitchen benchtop due to slipping on her blood after he cut her arm.

“I just picked the stool up, trying to hit him to get him off me … he slips and then falls back. I don’t know where he hit his head but I heard a ‘bang’,” Williams said during a police re-enactment in July 2014 played in court today.

Mr Gerbic’s headless and limbless torso was found burning on the side of the road near Gympie on September 19, 2013.

It took police over 10 months to identify his remains because they were unable to match his DNA to any on file.

Yesterday the court was played a recorded interview when Williams told the woman told detectives Mr Gerbic arrived at their Sunshine Coast home angry about tax, his ex-wife and his sexuality.

Williams claimed he attacked her with a steak knife before slipping on her blood and hitting his head on the kitchen bench.

She told police she checked in to a Coolum motel and stayed there for several days before returning to their Tanawha property his decapitated body was laying wrapped in plastic in an ensuite bathroom, the court heard yesterday.

The jury heard Williams detailed to police how she wrapped Mr Gerbic’s body in a tarp and dragged it out to a hire car before dumping it on the side of the road.