‘Money or the man’: Woman accused of ex-partner’s woodchipper murder driven by ‘desperation’, jury told
A woman has denied plotting the murder of her ex-partner using an industrial woodchipper, with her lawyer telling a jury her trial was not about who she was in a relationship with.
A woman has denied being the “architect” of a plot to murder an ex-partner using a woodchipper, with her lawyer urging a jury not to accept the evidence of another former lover.
Sharon Graham is on trial at Brisbane Supreme Court charged with the murder of Bruce Saunders on a central Queensland property six years ago.
The Crown alleges Ms Graham was the “architect” of a plot to have her ex-partner at the hands of two other men while the trio were working on the property.
Closing submissions were made on Wednesday, with crown prosecutor Todd Fuller submitting Ms Graham made “a choice” on the day of Mr Saunders’ death.
“It was a choice between the money and the man – and she chose both,” crown prosecutor Todd Fuller KC said.
Ms Graham has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Mr Saunders, 54.
Mr Saunders died after allegedly being dragged into the woodchipper while he was clearing trees at a property in Goomboorian, near Gympie, on November 12, 2017.
The Crown alleges Ms Graham was the architect of the plot to kill Mr Saunders by having two men – Gregory Roser and Peter Koenig – put him in the machine.
It is further alleged she stood to gain a $750,000 life insurance payout along with the contents of his will upon his death.
Peter Richards, Ms Graham’s defence barrister, told the jury the onus was on the prosecution to prove her client was guilty of murder beyond a reasonable doubt.
He said Ms Graham must be acquitted unless they could accept the evidence of Mr Koenig.
Describing Mr Saunders’ death as “beggars belief”, he said what was in dispute was whether Ms Graham had procured her ex-partner’s death.
“All roads lead back to Peter Koenig’s evidence,” Mr Richards said during his closing argument on Wednesday.
“You might think he had ability to weave a story around essential parts of what he knew, to achieve what he wanted.”
Mr Richards said this was not a trial about who Ms Graham was in a relationship with.
“For goodness sakes, she’s in her 50s, she can do what she likes,” he said.
The jury was told they had a chance to evaluate Mr Koenig’s credibility and reliability as a witness when he gave evidence earlier in the trial.
Mr Richards said there was nothing suspicious about Mr Saunders changing his will to name Ms Graham as the sole beneficiary.
“Here was an opportunity, after Mr Saunders’ death, for her to secure her financial future,” Mr Richards said.
“There’s no issue that Sharon Graham was the sole beneficiary of his will, that’s not in dispute.”
Mr Richards said what was in dispute was whether his client procured Mr Saunders’ death – reiterating she believed he had died as a result of an accident.
Mr Richards’ submissions will continue on Thursday.
Earlier in the day, Mr Fuller submitted Mr Saunders had the house and financial stability Ms Graham craved, but not the “personality” she craved.
“And so there was only one way to resolve it,” he said.
“Sharon Graham made a choice – it was an incredibly cruel and heartless one … that cost one man his life.
“The consequences for her is that she has criminal responsibility for her actions … in encouraging and procuring Greg Roser to kill Bruce Saunders.”
Mr Fuller told the jury Ms Graham had a choice to make between two men and two lifestyles at the time of Mr Saunders’ death.
“It was between a decent man (Mr Saunders), who owned his own home, had a job and as we’ve heard would do anything for her,” Mr Fuller said.
“Compared to a man (Mr Roser) who struggled to make ends meet, who lived in a caravan park, who needed her to pay for his own engagement ring.
Mr Fuller told the jury Ms Graham chose “the bad boy” – Mr Roser – instead of Mr Saunders.
“That meant her financial situation was no longer secured,” he said.
“She needed someone, or somehow, to pay the bills.
Mr Fuller explained the jury might think Ms Graham was “desperate” and the level of her desperation had been on display during the trial.
“A desperation that led to a man being killed and his body fed through a woodchipper,” he said.
Mr Fuller pointed to the testimony of Peter Koenig, who earlier told the jury he was asked several times by Ms Graham to kill Mr Saunders on earlier dates.
Mr Koenig gave evidence he saw Mr Roser hit Mr Saunders with a metal bar before the pair put him in the machine.
“(He) is a man who is saying ‘I’m actively involved after Greg Roser killed Bruce Saunders’,” Mr Fuller said.
He also referred to notes found in Mr Roser’s caravan which detailed Mr Saunders’ address, car registration, parking movements and his working times.
Mr Fuller told the jury it indicated a plan to inflict some violence on him in his own home, or on his way to work.
“Where does that information come from? Because despite what Mr Roser told us, Bruce Saunders and he are not mates,” Mr Fuller said
“This is not information that came from Bruce Saunders.
“It could only have come from a person who lived in the house with Bruce Saunders, who was plotting to kill him.”
The court was told Mr Saunders’ blood was found on the ground near the woodchipper and at the back of the machine.
Mr Fuller said this indicated Mr Saunders was injured before he went in the machine, contradicting claims he accidentally fell in.
The court was told Ms Graham appeared worried about text messages when she was recorded on covert listening devices police installed in her home.
The trial continues.