Kelly Wilkinson murder case: Ex-husband’s alleged act prior to her death

The father of alleged domestic violence victim Kelly Wilkinson has made a shock claim about an incident involving her estranged husband weeks before her death.

The former US Marine accused of burning his estranged wife to death allegedly set her clothes on fire just weeks before the horrific tragedy.

Kelly Wilkinson’s ex-partner Brian Earle Johnston is charged with murdering the Gold Coast mother in April, with police submitting an extraordinary brief of evidence, including allegations Johnston set fire to Ms Wilkinson’s belongings twice during their tumultuous relationship.

Evidence seized by police also includes CCTV footage allegedly showing a man accused of helping Johnston stopped at a service station to fill a jerry can of fuel at 3am on the day of Ms Wilkinson’s death and a suicide note allegedly written by Johnston just three weeks before the tragedy.

Ms Wilkinson’s death shocked Queensland and sparked a wide-scale review into how police respond to domestic violence after The Courier-Mail revealed major failings in the system.

Ms Wilkinson pleaded for help from police several times in the weeks before her death while Johnston was allowed to walk out the front door of a police station on serious charges without even having to apply for bail.

Brian Earle Johnston is accused of his wife Kelly Wilkinson’s murder.

As part of the brief of evidence against Johnston, detectives have compiled statements from dozens of witnesses, including Ms Wilkinson’s shattered father and sisters.

Ms Wilkinson was just 18 when she married Johnston after a whirlwind courtship in the US, and while the couple appeared happy at first, her Australian-based family soon grew concerned.

In a statement submitted as part of the brief of evidence, Ms Wilkinson’s father Reg said she told him Johnston set a pile of her clothes on fire in the front yard of their Ohio home.

Her parents flew to the US to bring her home, along with her two young children.

Just three months after Ms Wilkinson returned to Australia, Johnston turned up on the Gold Coast and the couple reunited, eventually welcoming the arrival of their third child together.

However, in February this year they split again, with Reg Wilkinson telling police his daughter said Johnston took a pile of her clothes and burnt them.

“Kelly said to me that she didn’t feel safe around Brian and that she didn’t feel safe for the children,” Mr Wilkinson said in his statement.

“Every second day my other daughter Natalie would need to go and get Kelly and take her to the police station to make a complaint that she was fearing for her and her children’s lives and that he wouldn’t leave them alone.”

By April 20, she was dead.

Bradley Bell has also been charged with Kelly Wilkinson’s murder.

It will also be alleged that Bradley Bell, who faces a murder charge of his own after being accused of driving Johnston to Ms Wilkinson’s Arundel home, was observed on CCTV stopping at a Coomera service station to fill a jerry can with petrol at 3am that morning.

A fuel container was found at the crime scene after Ms Wilkinson’s horrific death.

Other evidence seized by police includes a suicide note allegedly written by Johnston three weeks before Ms Wilkinson was killed.

Johnston was found lying in a garden bed in a nearby street later that day with severe burns and deep cuts to his arms.

He spent weeks in an induced coma and months in hospital, but has now been transferred to a prison medical wing.

Johnston’s defence lawyer, high-profile Gold Coast legal eagle Chris Hannay, said the horrific case would have “long-term catastrophic consequences for all involved”.

He said Johnston had not instructed him to make any application for bail as he waits for the case to return to court in October.

Police have launched two separate investigations into the handling of Ms Wilkinson’s complaints, with an internal review recommending sweeping changes to how officers interact with domestic violence complainants.

The Queensland coroner has requested assistance from the Queensland Police Service’s Ethical Standards Command to complete a coronial investigation.