Gold Coast’s Aaron Smith faces court for alleged murder of Rueben Lloyd Lingwoodock, Moorooka

Witnesses have shared confronting accounts of the charged scenes and trivial dispute that led up to the alleged murder of a much-loved Moorooka father.

Rueben Lloyd Lingwoodock was allegedly stabbed in a Moorooka apartment complex on May 20, 2022. Picture: Supplied

Witnesses have shared confronting accounts of the charged scenes that led up to the alleged murder of a much-loved Moorooka father.

A Brisbane court heard on Wednesday how 33-year-old Rueben Lloyd Lingwoodock was left with a hole in his stomach over a trivial monetary dispute.

Police alleged Aaron Smith, 22, stabbed Mr Lingwoodock in the neck and abdomen at a Moorooka unit complex on the evening of May 20, 2022.

Mr Lingwoodock was rushed to Princess Alexandra Hospital at the time in a critical condition but died on May 28.

Mr Smith was taken into custody at the scene and was later charged with murder.

He faced Brisbane Magistrates’ Court for a pre-trial committal hearing on Wednesday, July 24.

During a half-day hearing the court heard testimony from two people present at the time of the alleged murder, along with the arresting police officer.

Mr Smith, who has spent over two years in custody since the incident, watched from the dock as his defence barrister Lars Falcongreen cross-examined witnesses.

Witness Gemma Rose Barnes told the court that Mr Smith had asked Mr Lingwoodock to bring cannabis to her Moorooka unit on May 20, 2022.

Ms Barnes had been in a relationship with Mr Smith and was pregnant with his child at the time, the court heard.

Witness Gemma Rose Barnes outside the Brisbane Magistrates’ Court after being cross-examined for the case of Aaron Smith, who is charged with murdering Rueben Lloyd Lingwoodock in May 2022. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen/Courier Mail

She and Mr Smith were at her unit on May 20 with another man, Jai Darren Coates, whom Ms Barnes said wanted to confront Mr Lingwoodock over his suspicions that he stole money from Mr Coates’ wallet.

Ms Barnes said she found Mr Lingwoodock going through items in her daughter’s room about the time the money went missing.

But she told the court she did not believe Mr Lingwoodock took the money.

After Mr Lingwoodock arrived at her unit, she said Mr Coates accused him of stealing his wallet.

She said Mr Lingwoodock denied it and an argument broke out.

Ms Barnes said ounches were thrown by both men.

“When I yelled and I told them ‘enough’, that’s when it stopped,” she said.

She told Mr Lingwoodock to leave but he shoved her backwards.

Ms Barnes said Mr Smith then intervened.

She said she saw a number of punches thrown by the men at each other’s heads.

“I didn’t see the knife in his (Mr Smith’s) hand. I seen his hand thrust towards Rueben’s stomach area,” Ms Barnes said.

“Once his hand had come back and he had stepped away, I seen a hole in his (Mr Lingwoodock’s) stomach.”

She said she did not see a punch to the neck but saw blood coming down Mr Lingwoodock’s neck.

“I didn’t see the knife until I was on the phone with the ambulance,” she said.

She said Mr Coates moved Mr Lingwoodock’s body towards the front of the unit so ambulance offciers would be able to get to him more easily.

Witness Jai Coates (wearing white hat) leaves the Brisbane Magistrates’ Court on July 24. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen/Courier Mail

Mr Coates, who also gave evidence, agreed he originally just wanted to ask Mr Lingwoodock if he had taken any money out of his wallet.

He said his wallet went missing but $140 was returned.

He said Ms Barnes also thought that Mr Lingwoodock had taken the money.

He told the court that he and Mr Smith had “hardly known” Mr Lingwoodock at the time, but Ms Barnes had known him slightly longer.

During the fight, Mr Coates said he saw Mr Lingwoodock tear off Mr Smith’s shirt and “choke” him.

He said he remembered seeing an object in Mr Smith’s hand, which he thought was a lighter, just before Mr Lingwoodock was injured.

But after the neck injury, Mr Coates said he saw something silver in Mr Smith’s hand which he thought was consistent with a blade.

Mr Falcongreen asked both Ms Barnes and Mr Coates if they remembered Mr Lingwoodock telling Mr Coates during the initial argument that he would “put him in the ground”.

Both said they did not remember such a threat.

They both also denied having spoken with each other about the incident since, or about what they should tell police.

After the witnesses were cross-examined, Mr Smith accepted there was a sufficient case to continue to trial.

He chose not to say anything in answer to the murder charge or enter any plea.

The matter was committed to trial in the Brisbane Supreme Court at a later date and Mr Smith was remanded in custody.

Mr Lingwoodock’s family attended court.

They shared a GoFundMe at the time of the death which described Mr Lingwoodock as a “much loved father, son, partner, brother, uncle, nephew and friend to many”.

“Rueben had a heart of gold and was always going out of his way to help others,” they wrote.