Man violently raped woman days after stashing dead body in wheelie bin, court told
A Queensland court has been told of the heinous act a man committed on an innocent woman just days after stuffing a dead body in a wheelie bin.
A man who confessed to being an accessory to the manslaughter of a 61-year-old – whose body was found stuffed in a wheelie bin – violently raped a woman days after the gruesome death, a court has been told.
The vile act was committed while Robert Louis Gibson was on the run after Kym Mitchell was killed by his co-accused in a violent struggle in late 2018.
Even with the knowledge of the horrific act, Gibson attempted to cover for his mate by stuffing the body into a rubbish bin – leaving it to rot for days – before attacking the woman days later while hiding from police.
Gibson pleaded guilty last November to being an accessory after the fact to the manslaughter of Mr Mitchell, along with four counts of rape and another count of robbery in company.
He was supported by his family as he sat quietly in Brisbane Supreme Court on Tuesday.
Mr Mitchell’s body was found stuffed in a wheelie bin, surrounded by garbage bags, at a Yeronga unit complex in late 2018.
Crown prosecutor Elizabeth Kelso said Mr Mitchell, 61, died after Adam John Charles Evans – Gibson’s co-accused – assaulted him on November 26, 2018.
“(There were) … at least three or four forceful blows to the head causing the fractures, some must have been severe due to fractures to the bones of the skull,” she said.
“Neighbours heard statements such as ‘Help me, I’m dying’ in the course of … the assault by Mr Evans.”
The court was told the pair were heavily affected by drugs and alcohol at the time of the manslaughter.
Ms Kelso said Gibson, 41, was liable for being an accessory after the fact to manslaughter by helping clean the unit, placing Mr Mitchell’s body into the bin and moving it to a secluded spot behind the complex.
“You had knowledge of the circumstances where Mr Mitchell died, where severe injuries were inflicted upon him,” Justice Leslie Brown.
“You treated Mr Mitchell with no respect, you cast him aside like rubbish.”
Police discovered the body days later after neighbours complained of the smell.
In the following days, Gibson and Evans hid at a neighbouring unit complex to avoid police.
During this time Gibson targeted a woman who was drinking at a Runcorn pub.
As she left the venue, Gibson bragged he and Evans had “money and meth because we beat the f--k out of some guy” and told the woman he was “a murderer” on the run.
The court was told he then repeatedly raped the woman in a park.
Gibson told the terrified woman she would end up “murdered like the man” if she did not comply.
His robbery charge related to Gibson being in company while stealing pizzas and a bag from a woman before the manslaughter.
Gibson called the woman a “dog” and threatened to “bash” her if she phoned police.
Evans, 33, had previously pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Mr Mitchell.
Justice Brown said Gibson’s conduct was “depraved” in treating the woman in a “degrading and humiliating way”.
Defence barrister Peter Feeney said Gibson had never held steady, consistent work but had experience as a steel fixer and worked at a biscuit factory for two years.
The court was told that Gibson had a longstanding drug addiction, having used methamphetamines since his teenage years.
Mr Feeney said his client had remained drug-free and healthy while in pre-sentence custody.
Gibson ultimately received eight years’ jail for the rape charges, with a serious violent offence declaration.
He was sentenced to three years’ jail for being an accessory after the fact to manslaughter, which was ordered to be served cumulatively, and a concurrent two-year sentence for the robbery charge.
His time spent in custody since 2018 was declared as time served.
He will be eligible for parole in September 2025.