Mark Daniel Ferguson found guilty of manslaughter for killing Pamela Frances Corless

Pamela Corless was a “vibrant woman” who had travelled the world. The 73-year-old grandmother’s life was cut short when killer tradie Mark Daniel Ferguson hit her on the head with a 1.5m piece of timber.

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PAMELA Frances Corless was a “vibrant woman” who had travelled the world and had children and grandchildren at home who loved her.

She came to Townsville to be closer to her family but not long after died alone in her own front yard, leaving her son-in-law to find her cold and lifeless body.

On September 3, 2018, Mark Daniel Ferguson snapped and hit the defenceless 73-year-old on the back of her head, fracturing her skull.

Mark Ferguson. Source: Facebook.

He did not help Ms Corless, nor did he call an ambulance or police.

Instead he ran inside the dying woman’s home and stole her Xbox before returning to her body to search her pockets for cash.

The 23-year-old pleaded not guilty to murdering Ms Corless in the Townsville Supreme Court on Monday April 19.

He defended the charge and instead pleaded guilty to manslaughter.

After a four-day trial, a 12-person jury found Ferguson not guilty for murder, but instead found him guilty of manslaughter.

The jury heard Ferguson’s and Ms Corless’ paths crossed when she posted on Facebook that she needed renovation work done at her home.

Messages between the pair were shown in evidence to the court.

They showed Ms Corless gave Ferguson the go ahead to build her a new wardrobe in her Cranbrook home after he quoted her $650 to do the job.

The court heard after he got the all clear, Ferguson went to Bunnings at Fairfield Waters and bought $324.70 of materials and hired a ute to transport them.

After he began construction, Ms Corless became unsatisfied by the quality of his workmanship and told him to stop and leave.

Ferguson asked Ms Corless for $400 to cover what he spent on the materials.

She gave him $200 and said he would get the rest when he finished the job.

Mark Ferguson. Source: Facebook.

Ferguson could not wait and one day later returned to Ms Corless’ home, jumped her padlocked fence and confronted her at her door.

When police interviewed Ferguson after Ms Corless’ body was discovered, he said he was “angry enough to hit her” because he was “sick and tired of getting ripped off”.

“She just kept ignoring me,” Ferguson said.

Ferguson’s former partner Louise Davies told the court she had been in a relationship with him for one year when she drove him to Ms Corless’ home on numerous occasions, including on the day he hit the 73-year-old causing her death.

In her evidence, Ms Davies said she sat in the car while Ferguson jumped the fence to enter Ms Corless’ property.

She told the court she heard loud banging noises and got out and walked to the fence.

Ms Davies said it was at that moment she heard a woman’s voice scream “get out of my house” before Ferguson jumped back over the fence and got into the car.

Ms Davies said when Ferguson got back in the car he told her, “Baby just take me home.”

The court heard Ferguson told Ms Davies he “smashed a couple of windows” and “hit Pamela over the head with a piece of timber”.

Crown Prosecutor Nigel Rees said $159.70 was the price for Ms Corless’ life.

Mr Rees said Ferguson’s actions were “reprehensible”.

“He did not call police or an ambulance, he did not render assistance, in the hope of saving his own skin and getting away with it.

“The prisoner left Pamela for dead,” Mr Rees said.

Ferguson’s defence counsel, Frank Richards, said his client was a “man of below average intelligence” who struggled at school and obtained limited employment.

Mr Richards said Ferguson had suffered with mental health issues throughout his life and was “chronically unhappy”.

The court heard Ferguson had abstained from cannabis and infrequent meth use 12 months before he killed Ms Corless.

Mr Richards said Ferguson was upset of the “clear and devastating impact” on Ms Corless’ family.

In sentencing, Justice Susan Brown said Ferguson’s actions were those of a “bully and coward” and born out of “anger and frustration”.

Justice Brown said no sentence she could impose could make up for the suffering Ms Corless’ family had endured.

“You might have felt she was being unfair, but she did not deserve anything you did to her that day,” Justice Brown said.

“She was unarmed and defenceless. You wanted to hurt her,” she said.

In a victim impact statement read to the court, Ms Corless was described by her daughter as a “vibrant woman” who had travelled the world.

“In her final moments, she didn’t get to be surrounded by people who loved and cherished her.”

Justice Brown said Ferguson had robbed Ms Corless’ family of “future memories and time with a fun, loving and amazing woman”.

Ferguson was sentenced to nine-and-a-half years imprisonment for one charge of manslaughter.

He was further sentenced to four months imprisonment for wilful damage and another 12 months imprisonment for burglary and stealing.

Pre-sentence custody of 962 days was deemed as eligible time served under the sentence.

No parole date was set.

Originally published as Mark Daniel Ferguson found guilty of manslaughter for killing Pamela Frances Corless