Shandee Blackburn murder: Not guilty verdict in Shandee Blackburn murder trial

BREAKING: A jury has found John Peros not guilty of the murder of Queensland woman Shandee Blackburn.

Shandee Blackburn.

A SUPREME Court jury has found John Peros not guilty of the murder of Mackay young woman Shandee Blackburn.

The jury of six men and six woman delivered their verdict about 3pm today, just hours after retiring to consider their verdict.

Their acquittal of Mr Peros comes four years after Ms Blackburn was fatally stabbed in Boddington Street in Mackay while she was walking home from work early on February 9, 2013.

Mr Peros has been on trial in the Supreme Court in Mackay, before Justice James Henry, for almost three weeks.

More than 20 witnesses were called during the trial.

John Peros has been found not guilty of the murder of Shandee Blackburn. Picture: Channel 7

Ms Blackburn’s family and friends have been in court since the trial began on March 20.

Mr Peros, who was defended by barrister Craig Eberhardt, left the Mackay Courthouse with his lawyer shortly after the jury delivered its verdict. They did not answer questions and drove off in a SUV parked outside the courthouse.

During the trial, Mr Eberhardt had argued that Ms Blackburn had been killed by former person of interest and prosecution witness, William Daniel, in a bungled, ice-fuelled robbery, and that his client had nothing to do with the stabbing.

He said there was a “compelling case” against Mr Daniel and that police had been “blinkered” in their investigations.

Shandee Blackburn died in a savage bashing on a Mackay street.

Crown prosecutor Joshua Phillips had argued Mr Peros murdered Ms Blackburn in a hate-filled personal attack following a relationship break-up about eight months prior to her death.

He told the court Mr Peros had spoken about stabbing Ms Blackburn at an Australia Day gathering in January, 2013 and that Mr Peros was in the vicinity of the scene on the night of Ms Blackburn’s death.

Mr Peros was charged with Ms Blackburn’s murder in September, 2014, following an 18-month police investigation, during which the Queensland Government posted a $250,000 reward for information leading to a conviction.

The former champion amateur boxer has maintained his innocence since that time.