‘No case submission’ on the cards for lawyers of man charged with manslaughter of mother

Defence lawyers for a man charged with manslaughter over the 2021 death of his mother are considering lodging a “no case to answer” submission, a court was told on Wednesday.

Giustina Lawlor was allegedly killed by her son Cristian Lawlor at her Taigum home.

Lawyers for a man charged with manslaughter over the alleged gunshot death of his mother could argue he has no case to answer.

Giustina Katerina Lawlor’s death on May 8, 2021, was initially attributed to natural causes until two days later when a CT scan revealed otherwise, the Brisbane Magistrates Court heard during her son’s committal hearing on Wednesday.

Forensic pathologist Andrew Kedziora told the hearing a duty pathologist reviewed Mrs Lawlow’s post-mortem scan and noticed “a metallic object in the left chest cavity which was suspicious of being a projectile”.

Cristian Dino Charles Lawlor

Giustina Lawlor

Queensland police will allege Mrs Lawlor, 53, was moving a bag containing a firearm owned by her 22-year-old son, Cristian Dino Charles Lawlor, when it discharged in the laundry of the family home on Muller St in Taigum, on Brisbane’s northside.

Mrs Lawlor was found in the laundry after her daughter heard her scream, the court heard.

The hearing was also told that when paramedics arrived, they noted a small injury to Mrs Lawlor’s abdomen, but it was assumed the injury had been caused by her falling on the tiles.

An autopsy carried out on May 11, 2021, found a projectile had entered Mrs Lawlor’s body near her belly button, entered and exited one of her lungs before stopping in her chest cavity, where it remained, the court heard.

Mr Kedziora told the hearing there was no exit wound.

“I was able to view the entry wound, a tiny defect in the abdomen just to the right of the umbilicus and that was the entry wound and I knew the exit was from the lung not exit from the body because the projectile …remained in the body,” he said.

“It was not something seen on the outside of the body.”

Lawlor, now 24, who was present in court, was charged days after his mother’s death with manslaughter, unlawful possession of a weapon, authority required to possess explosives and minor drug offences.

His barrister James Godbolt said he had made a submission to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and, depending on the director’s response, a ‘no case submission’ might be made to the court.

A ‘no case to answer’ submission means a defendant has asked the court for an acquittal without having to present a defence.

The matter was adjourned to February 22 for cross-examination of a ballistics expert and possible no case submission.

Lawlor remains on Supreme Court bail.