Jury hears gruesome details of Bruce Saunders’ death in woodchip murder case

The gruesome details of the alleged violent murder of a lonely Nambour butcher who was “clubbed” to death then fed into a woodchipper up to his knees has been recounted to a jury, including efforts to make it look like an accident.

Witness Peter Koenig leaving Brisbane Supreme Court. Picture: Liam Kidston

The gruesome details of the alleged violent murder of a lonely Nambour butcher who was “clubbed” to death then fed into a woodchipper up to his knees has been recounted to a jury

Eyewitness Peter Koenig told Brisbane’s Supreme Court that he felt a brush from Bruce Saunders falling.

“I turned around and had a look and he was laying on the ground. His eyes open a little bit. Greg (Roser) was there with the bar … and struck him a couple more times in the head,” Koenig said.

“I said what the f--- are you doing,” he said.

“He said I think I’ve killed him.”

The court heard it happened on a property outside Gympie after the three men had spent the weekend clearing trees for a widow in November 2017.

Alleged murder victim Bruce Saunders.

Koenig claims Roser, who has pleaded not guilty to murder, then said “we got to put him in the machine and make it look like accident.”

Mr Saunders was then placed into the woodchipper feeder tray, he said.

Koenig said he used a tree branch to push Mr Saunders into the machine.

Crown prosecutor David Meredith asked Koenig, who pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact to murder in June, why the woodchipper was stopped.

“Just to leave a bit of Bruce there I suppose … for the police to see it,” Koenig said.

Koenig alleged Roser then called Sharon Graham, who the court has heard was in a relationship with all three men at various stages, and said it was done.

Koenig alleged Roser then began screaming words to the effect of “oh Bruce what have you done”.

Sharon Graham. Picture: Facebook

He alleged Roser told the property owner that Mr Saunders had fallen into the machine to reach for a phone that had fallen in.

Mr Meredith asked Koenig if he ever warned Mr Saunders, who he considered a friend, about a plan to kill him.

“No … I didn’t believe it would happen,” he said.

But Roser’s barrister Lars Falcongreen suggested it was Koenig who killed Mr Saunders that day.

“Greg refused to kill him so you killed him,” Mr Falcongreen said.

“I did not kill him,” Koenig responded.

“You killed him for Sharon Graham because this is a woman you’ve been obsessed and infatuated with for over 10 years.”

“I did not kill him.”

The court heard Koenig had about 1000 videos and photos of Graham, mainly unclothed, which he catalogued into folders labelled “mmm”, “good girl”, “great times”, “legs”, “hardcore”, “p---y a----”, “play time”, “that girl” and “trouble”.

Mr Falcongreen said Koenig gave police an interview in June this year incriminating Roser so he himself could get out of jail.

“I just wanted to tell the truth,” Koenig responded.

Following the interview the court heard Koenig’s murder charge was downgraded to accessory after the fact, for which he was sentenced in July.

“You walked free from court on that day,” Mr Falcongreen said.

“That’s correct.”

The court heard he still had some prison time hanging over his head via a suspended sentence.

Koenig denied trying to persuade Roser to kill Mr Saunders on multiple occasions.

The Crown allege Roser and Koenig were asked to kill Mr Saunders by his ex-partner Sharon Graham who successfully applied to have a separate trial yesterday.

Graham, who pleaded not guilty to murder, believed Mr Saunders’ death was an accident because that’s what she was told as she was not there when he died, the court heard.

The trial continues this afternoon.