Inside trial of Brett Gordon Williams charged with murder of Craig Dunn

A Qld landlord on trial for murder had red stains on a pair of black shorts found in his washing machine, a jury has been told. LATEST.

Brett Gordon Williams outside of the Maryborough Supreme Court.

More photos of red stains, this time found on the shorts of the Hervey Bay landlord accused of murdering his tenant were observed in the Maryborough Supreme Court on Tuesday, April 1.

Brett Gordon Williams has pleaded not guilty to the murder of gas fitter and tenant Craig Dunn, who was found dead at the industrial complex where he rented a premises from Mr Williams on April 4, 2022.

Senior Constable and forensic scientist Renee Torok took to the witness box on the fifth day of the trial (Tuesday), where she was asked a series of questions on a collection of photos resembling a pair of black pants.

According to Snr Const Torok, the pants were found in Mr Williams’ washing machine, covered in a white substance later confirmed to be washing powder.

She told the court that multiple red stains were present on the shorts, as the washing machine had never been turned on to begin a wash.

Other pieces of evidence from Mr Williams’ unit, including a sock that was also in the washing machine and two pairs of shoes found in the unit’s living area, were seized by forensics.

More forensic analysis will be shown to the jury during the trial, which will continue through the week.

Murder trial hears of red stains, alleged killer’s change of clothes

The trial of a Fraser Coast landlord charged with murdering one of his tenants continued into its fifth day on Monday in the Maryborough Supreme Court, where scenes of crime officers were cross-examined.

Urangan landlord Brett Gordon Williams has pleaded not guilty to the murder of gas fitter and tenant Craig Dunn, who was found dead at the industrial complex where he rented a premises from Mr Williams on April 4, 2022.

Senior Constable Melissa Meldrum, a scenes of crime photographer at the time of Mr Dunn’s death, was back in front of the jury on Monday, March 31, walking the prosecution through a number of photos of Mr Dunn’s unit.

Photos showed small red stains on pieces of furniture, including Mr Dunn’s front desk, his gas heater, a toy car, and underneath a mat made from artificial grass.

The scene where Mr Dunn’s body was initially found by police officers was also examined, with photos showing extensive red stains underneath where his head would have been.

The trial is expected to continue into this week.

Earlier, the court was told Mr Williams changed his clothes and fixed his appearance after directing police to the body on the day it was discovered.

The testimony was given by Senior Constable Darcy Horgan who along with Senior Constable Danielle O’Rourke responded to what police initially believed to be a welfare check on April 4, 2022.

The court heard that after Mr Williams opened the door of the commercial building at Urangan, leading to the discovery of Mr Dunn’s body inside, Snr Const O’Rourke told the landlord to wait outside.

After scanning the scene for several minutes, Snr Const Horgan walked over the shed owned by Mr Williams who opened his front door with an altered appearance, the officer told the court.

Footage played in court showed Mr Williams had changed from a white T-shirt into a button-up with navy blue lines and Snr Const Horgan said this was different to the “dishevelled” appearance of the accused when they first met.

Defence lawyer Craig Eberhardt claimed the change in appearance was due to a 9am business meeting his client had to attend that morning.

He also quizzed Snr Const Horgan about his care for the crime scene, a theme that was present throughout the second and third days of the trial.

The officer conceded that he was not always looking where he walked around and also used his mobile phone while wearing gloves after telling the call receiver that he had “blood on his hands”.

Photos tendered to the court by the prosecution allegedly showed different areas where red stains were photographed by Snr Const Meldrum.

The stains were on a white Toyota Prado parked in the complex and also pictured on the concrete outside the front of Mr Williams’ roller door and on various pieces of furniture inside his shed.

Other pictures showed Mr Dunn on the ground, with one image appearing to show his shirt with a large stain on the front.

MOMENT COPS FOUND GAS FITTER’S BODY

A police officer first on the scene after Mr Williams allegedly killed Mr Dunn was quizzed on day three of the trial.

Snr Const O’Rourke and another officer went to the Urangan business complex and discovered Mr Dunn on the floor.

Bodycam footage played in court showed Snr Const O’Rourke knocking on the door to unit seven of the complex, before Mr Williams, wearing a clean white shirt, opened the door to the officers.

The officers entered the shed, before quickly finding Mr Dunn’s lifeless body on the polished concrete.

Further footage, which showed Snr Const O’Rourke scanning the upstairs area of Mr Dunn’s rental space, triggered a flurry of questions from Mr Eberhardt.

He challenged Snr Const O’Rourke on what the defence claimed was a lack of care for the area, suggesting officers did not show enough concern to preserve the integrity of the crime scene.

He also claimed paramedics had no protection from contaminating the scene and put to Snr Const O’Rourke that she should have contacted first responders to wear the necessary gear.

However, the police officer said the Queensland Ambulance Service workers did only have shoes on when they entered the scene but she told them to watch where they were walking.

According to the defence, the partner officer had already scouted the upstairs of the shed, but Snr Const O’Rourke said she also checked upstairs.

She accepted going upstairs, which had already been checked, had the “potential” to compromise the crime scene

‘STOLEN CAT, F***WIT CLAIM’

Mr Williams “was ready to bash” his tenant who had previously taken his pet cat, the trial heard in its early stages.

The hostilities between Mr Williams and the late Mr Dunn were detailed in Maryborough Supreme Court on the first day of the trial.

In one of the more bizarre moments, the court heard Mr Dunn had once taken Mr Williams’ cat and given it to another man, asking him to keep it for a couple of days, “even if he didn’t want him” because his “landlord would lose his s***”.

Paul Donohue, who the court heard had the cat after it was stolen by Mr Dunn in March, 2022 was quizzed by Mr Eberhardt.

Mr Eberhardt referenced a series of text messages between Mr Dunn and Mr Donohue regarding the pet.

He also told the court Mr Williams had visited Mr Donohue, who worked near the Urangan business complex where he and Mr Dunn lived, to ask if he had seen the cat.

Mr Donohue had responded at the time that he hadn’t seen it.

He had later sent a message telling Mr Dunn the “poor thing was riddled with fleas”.

Hervey Bay gasfitter Craig Dunn was found dead at a Urangan business complex.

He told the court he later freed the cat.

Another man, Shane Collie, had lived in a shed at the same industrial complex where the alleged murder took place.

He told the court that when he moved in and was signing the lease around November, 2021, Mr Williams told him to stay away from Mr Dunn “because Dunnie’s a f***wit and he’ll get you into trouble”.

On another occasion around Christmas 2021, the court heard there had been a broken window at the complex.

“He (Mr Williams) sort of blamed Dunnie for that,” Mr Collie said.

“He said he knew Dunnie had done it but he couldn’t prove it.”

The neighbour said he knew Mr Dunn had installed CCTV cameras and Mr Williams had spoken to him about it, because it was facing towards his shed.

“He said ‘I think it follows you around’,” Mr Collie said.

The court heard that the day before Mr Dunn’s death, Mr Collie had returned from visiting his children and Mr Williams told him about inspections scheduled the next day.

It also heard Mr Dunn had gone over while he was speaking to Mr Williams and was told by him to “f*** off” before Mr Dunn walked away.

A few weeks prior, Mr Collie had another exchange with Mr Williams about Mr Dunn where the landlord allegedly said that if Mr Dunn knew his mental state at that time he “wouldn’t be doing it” and he was “ready to bash him” in regard to his behaviour, the court was told.

SURROUNDED BY BLOOD’: GRISLY OPENING TO TRIAL

The murder trial opened with a confronting CCTV image of the alleged victim on the ground propped up on his elbow with his accused killer standing over him.

The image was among several shown to a jury which was told of a hostile relationship between Mr Williams, 59 and 62-year-old Mr Dunn, who was found dead at a Urangan business complex where he had lived and worked on April 4, 2022.

The court heard the complex, from which the gasfitter had operated his business, was for sale at the time of his death while one of his former colleagues was also quizzed on whether Mr Dunn previously told her he had been “annoying” his landlord in an effort to get out of his lease.

Mr Williams, whose face can be shown for the first time, sat in the dock on Tuesday as the jury trial began before Justice Peter Davis.

During his opening statement, Crown Prosecutor Stephen Muir said the CCTV images, taken about 6.30am on April 4, 2022, in the carpark of the business complex, were the last to show Mr Dunn alive.

Brett Gordon Williams outside of the Maryborough Supreme Court.

“Standing over Mr Dunn is the man charged with his murder, the defendant Mr Williams,” Mr Muir said, telling the jury image was recorded by the CCTV system Mr Dunn had installed in his industrial shed which was pointed out of a second-storey window.
When police attended the scene an hour and a half later, they found Mr Dunn dead in a shed immediately adjacent to his own, on the floor flat on his back with injuries to his face “covered and surrounded by his own blood”, Mr Muir said.

He also told the court Mr Dunn’s hearing aids had been found in the carpark, separated by some space on the concrete and it was clear “something had happened” to dislodge them.

“Perhaps unsurprisingly ladies and gentlemen, based on the CCTV still, the blood that was found in this location and the hearing aids, the Crown says that Mr Williams perpetrated a serious assault on Mr Dunn at this location.”

Mr Muir said after the alleged incident in the carpark, Mr Williams then entered Mr Dunn’s shed.

He said he suspected it would be uncontentious as to why Mr Williams had entered the shed and gone up the stairs.

“His purpose was to remove the CCTV camera that was on the second floor that captured the incident in the carpark,” Mr Muir said, explaining that the cameras that had been removed had never been recovered.

“So, in terms of removing that evidence and disposing of it, Mr Williams was successful in that regard.”

He also noted there had been some hostility in the relationship between the two men and he did not propose to suggest that was solely the fault of Mr Williams.

However, he said there were features to the relationship that had relevance to the case and that Mr Williams had previously expressed an intention to assault Mr Dunn.

He also said Mr Williams had organised an inspection that morning ahead of the sale of the complex including Mr Dunn’s shed and a gantry had been tipped over in the carpark, with Mr Dunn believed to have caused that to occur “by one means or another”.

He said that context would help the jury understand the circumstances in which the incident had occurred.

The court heard Mr Dunn’s injuries included a skull fracture to the front of his head, a dislocated right elbow and a fracture to the base of his neck and that he’d also been suffering significant health issues prior to his death.

It was also told Mr Williams “sought to dispose of” Mr Dunn’s mobile phone but it was later recovered when a passer-by saw the landlord with it at Hervey Bay Botanical Gardens and the CCTV stills were later recovered from the phone, which the CCTV system was linked to.

Mr Muir said at 7.49am on the morning of the alleged murder Mr Williams called emergency services and later took police to Mr Dunn’s body.

He also said that when police spoke to Mr Williams later, he had changed his clothes and showered and a police search of his premises revealed clothing in the washing machine.

Defence barrister Craig Eberhardt told the jury things were often “not always what they first seemed” and from the outset of the case the investigation was “infected by confirmation bias”.

“It’s really important you don’t fall into the same trap,” he told the jury, urging it to listen carefully to the evidence with an open mind.

He said while there was no dispute that Mr Williams assaulted Mr Dunn that day or hid the cameras and phone, none of that meant he killed him.

He said there was no evidence Mr Williams had assaulted Mr Dunn in the shed where his body was found and no evidence of how Mr Dunn came to be in the shed.

Mr Eberhardt said the jury would need to question whether DNA inconsistent with Mr William’s DNA profile had been discovered and whether hair clutched in the “bloody hand of the deceased man” belonged to the landlord.

“Look for the evidence that doesn’t fit the story instead of engaging in confirmation bias,” he said.

“Think about what investigations could have been done but were not done.”

He also asked the jury to “be detectives” during the trial and “approach this case with the care and consideration and attention to detail that the investigating police did not”.

The trial’s first witness Tamara Rasmussen, who had worked with Mr Dunn, was asked whether her late colleague had, in the lead up to his death, told her he “planned to get out of his lease and the plan was working”.

Ms Rasmussen said she did not recall having that exchange with Mr Dunn.

It was again suggested to her that Mr Dunn had said to her in a text message that he had planned to break his lease “by annoying Mr Williams, and his plan was working”.

The court heard she had told a police officer of the exchange, but Ms Rasmussen again said she could not recall.

The trial will continue on Wednesday.

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Originally published as Inside trial of Brett Gordon Williams charged with murder of Craig Dunn