Friends speak as man charged with wife’s Valentine’s Day murder
As a man is charged with his wife’s Valentine’s Day murder, friends who saw them shortly before the incident have opened up.
Police & Courts
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Vanessa Godfrey’s friends could not have predicted the tragedy that was to unfold as she was found dead, lying in a pool of blood inside a Sunshine Coast hotel room with visible signs of significant alleged violence.
A day intended for love turned to heartbreak and horror when on Valentine’s Day Ms Godfrey was found dead inside a hotel room at the Pelican Waters Resort.
Ms Godfrey, 46, was a loving and devoted mother and grandmother who doted on her baby grandson and affectionately referred to him as “nanny’s bubba”.
On Monday all that was tragically taken away in an act of alleged violence, when Ms Godfrey’s husband of nearly 27 years allegedly murdered her and callously left her body on a bloodsoaked hotel mattress.
Jeffrey James Godfrey, 50, had been living at a different address to his wife, however the pair remained legally married and police allege they were engaged in “an intimate relationship” at the time of Ms Godfrey’s death.
Godfrey, who owned a now-defunct cleaning business and lives in Bli Bli on the Sunshine Coast, was charged with one count of domestic violence murder early yesterday following the horrific discovery of Ms Godfrey’s body by hotel staff about 3.30pm on Monday.
The pair had been staying at the resort for the weekend to attend an event, believed to be a friend’s 60th birthday party.
Resort guests said they had heard days of arguing and partying coming from the room in which the pair were staying, and at one stage, neighbours reportedly heard them sing love songs to one another.
The pair had socialised with many other couples and friends at the weekend, and police say were even staying at the unit with several others.
Friends shocked by Ms Godfrey’s death reported no signs of distress or concern at the weekend’s event.
“(We) were sitting at the same table with this couple on Saturday night at (a) 60th birthday party; there were no signs of trouble at that stage,” a man, whom The Courier-Mail has chosen not to name, said online.
“We’ve known them for a few years, they were good friends of my daughter and her husband.
“Just an awful thing to happen and hard to comprehend.”
In 2019, Ms Godfrey had described her husband as the absolute love of her life.
The pair met when Ms Godfrey, who was known to those closest to her as “Ness”, was just 17 years old.
Less than two weeks after her violent death, she and Godfrey would have been be due to celebrate their 27th wedding anniversary.
Ms Godfrey marked the couple’s 2019 wedding anniversary by declaring her love for her husband online.
“Happy 24th wedding anniversary to the absolute love of my life,” she wrote alongside a photo of the pair on their wedding day.
“When I met you at 17 years old I couldn’t have imagined the life we would create and build together. You are my best friend, my lover, my companion and my drinking buddy.
“I am so grateful to be sharing my life with you. I love you more than these words and life itself my beautiful hubby.”
Godfrey was yesterday remanded in custody for the alleged murder of the woman who once called him a best friend, lover and companion.
He was not brought to the docks in Maroochydore Magistrates Court as his duty lawyer asked for his matter to be adjourned to May 6.
In attendance, however, was the couple’s daughter Olivia Godfrey, who had only been notified of her mother’s death hours before she told media her family was “not sure how to feel” about it.
Police said a Pelican Waters Resort staff member located Ms Godfrey’s body during a welfare check, prompted after the couple failed to check out of the hotel on Monday morning.
Godfrey was also found unconscious in the same room, but by the time police and paramedics arrived, he was awake and able to communicate with paramedics.
Melanie Ridgewell, who lives in the building, said that she was shocked when she returned on Monday from the school run with her kids to find the place swarming with police.
“There were four police cars, four ambulances and I was just trying to get the kids in from school,” she said.
“We were trying to get up the lift to see if everyone was all right because I have a daughter up there, but couldn’t get through.”
Queensland Police Detective Inspector Dave Drinnen said the discovery of Ms Godfrey’s body “would have been very horrific”.
“We had a very unfortunate incident, a very tragic incident where there was a female deceased, so it would be very traumatic for anyone attending,” Inspector Drinnen said.
He described Ms Godfrey’s death as “another tragic loss of life”.
Investigations are ongoing, while forensic pathology takes place on the alleged murder weapon and an autopsy on Ms Godfrey’s body gets under way.
Godfrey’s matter is next due to be heard on May 6.
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