Timothy Hunt’s murder trial turns to disposing the body
A truckie accused of slitting a man’s throat over a $10,000 drug debt discussed chopping up his alleged victim’s body, a jury has been told by a key witness, who says the corpse was eventually doused in petrol and set alight.
5pm, Thursday, 18 September: Mr Hunt grew “manic” in the days after Mr Rowe’s corpse was dumped, Ms Shier maintains.
On Thursday afternoon, Ms Shier continued to give her evidence, telling the jury her phone was “blowing up with messages” from Mr Hunt.
“It was just like, constant calls and messages,” she said.
“Almost like tracking where I was.”
Ms Shier claimed the correspondence came to a head when Mr Hunt urgently contacted her.
“I got a call saying I couldn’t ask any questions and that I just needed to get into the car, (that) he was going to come pick me and that we needed to go,” she said.
“He said that someone was following him.”
The pair ultimately drove to Tennant Creek – a journey which Ms Shier described as “hot and cold”.
“One minute (Tim) would be talking to me and the next meaning he was screaming at me,” she said.
“Telling me ‘go away’ and just like getting really aggressive.”
Ms Shier said Mr Hunt’s behaviour grew worse when she said she wanted to return to Darwin.
“He got really mad and stormed to his car and started grabbing everything out,” she told the jury.
“He started throwing it all out (and) then he got a subwoofer (and) smashed that on the ground behind the car.”
When the pair arrived at Tennant Creek they would eventually part ways, but Ms Shier said Mr Hunt followed her in another vehicle up the Stuart Highway and flagged her down.
She claimed an angry Mr Hunt grabbed her by the throat and threatened her before she continued on her way.
Just days later, Ms Shier was at university when her lecturer asked her if she was ‘okay’.
Not understanding what she meant, the lecturer then showed Ms Shier a police release in which a photo of Ms Shier was a person of interest.
“I broke down,” she told the jury.
Mr Shier told the courtroom she didn’t tell police everything she knew because she was “scared” of Mr Hunt and his associates.
With the permission of police, Ms Shier left Darwin for Perth.
The court heard she returned to the Top End almost a year later in May 2023 when she was arrested and extradited to the Northern Territory.
Mr Hunt’s lawyer, Marty Aust, is expected to cross-examine Ms Shier on Friday.
The trial continues.
2pm, Thursday, 18 September: A truckie accused of slitting a man’s throat over a $10,000 drug debt discussed chopping up his alleged victim’s body, a jury has been told by a key witness, who says the corpse was eventually doused in petrol and set alight.
Timothy Hunt is charged with murdering Tony Rowe, who disappeared in May 2022.
This week, Mr Hunt pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Mr Rowe but not guilty to his murder.
Key witness Jazmin Shier, who was once Mr Hunt’s Tinder-date, told the jury she was on the scene when Mr Rowe was killed.
Ms Shier said Mr Hunt and his friend, Keith Waldock, extensively bashed Mr Rowe on a roadside near Robertson Barracks before the violence took a wild turn.
The court heard Mr Hunt grabbed a pair of pliers from the vehicle and snipped off Mr Rowe’s pinky toe.
Ms Shier claimed Mr Hunt was impressed with how Mr Rowe handled the amputation.
“(He said) that he cut his toe and that (Mr Rowe) ‘took it like a man’,” she told the jury.
Ms Shier said Mr Waldock had joined her in the car – but that her Tinder-date stayed with Mr Rowe for about five minutes.
“(Mr Hunt’s) called out ‘it’s done, it’s done’, that he’d just cut Tony’s throat,” Ms Shier told the jury.
“He said that he knew the main artery in his neck.
“He’s got in the car and told me to drive.”
Ms Shier said she saw Mr Hunt with a silver stanley knife.
“Tim said he could still hear (Mr Rowe) breathing but that he could hear him drowning in his own blood,” she said.
The trio then drove to an address in Palmerston.
Ms Shier said she recalled Mr Hunt and Mr Waldock discuss what to do with the body.
“(They) were saying that they were going to have to chop Tony up and that Keith could take him on a fishing boat to discard him.”
Ms Shier said she woke up the next morning to Mr Hunt telling her “we have to go and move Tony”.
After the pair drove to the location, Ms Shier said she stayed in the car while Mr Hunt collected the body.
“(Mr Hunt) just picked him up like he didn’t weigh anything,” she said.
“It was like he just psyched himself up so much he just picked him up and threw him in the boot like he was no weight at all.”
The court heard Mr Hunt spent a few minutes scanning the area for Mr Rowe’s missing toe, but to no avail.
Ms Shier said the pair drove the body to an isolated location, where Mr Hunt lay the dead man down and poured petrol on him.
“Tim lit a cigarette for himself and then asked for another cigarette,” she told the jury.
“And as they were both lit, (Tim) placed one cigarette into Tony’s mouth saying that he hoped it would catch alight (and) that he could have one last smoke with his mate.”
To get the fire going, Mr Hunt allegedly threw rubbish onto the corpse before he told Ms Shier to start the car.
As they were turning a corner, Ms Shier said she heard an explosion.
“All the trees were on fire, just massive flames,” she said.
“And Tim started laughing.”
Ms Shier told the jury her Tinder-date sought to cover his tracks by giving his vehicle an extensive clean – twice.
Ms Shier said the boot of vehicle was of particular focus, with Mr Hunt removing the spare tyre and carpet in a bid to wipe Mr Rowe’s blood.
“As soon as (Tim) started washing it, you could see blood going down the driveway.”
After lunch, the court heard Mr Hunt grew “manic” in the days after Mr Rowe’s corpse was dumped.
On Thursday afternoon, Ms Shier continued to give her evidence, telling the jury her phone was “blowing up with messages” from Mr Hunt.
“It was just like, constant calls and messages,” she said.
“Almost like tracking where I was.”
Ms Shier claimed the correspondence came to a head when Mr Hunt urgently contacted her.
“I got a call saying I couldn’t ask any questions and that I just needed to get into the car, (that) he was going to come pick me and that we needed to go,” she said.
“He said that someone was following him.”
The pair ultimately drove to Tennant Creek – a journey which Ms Shier described as “hot and cold”.
“One minute (Tim) would be talking to me and the next meaning he was screaming at me,” she said.
“Telling me ‘go away’ and just like getting really aggressive.”
Ms Shier said Mr Hunt’s behaviour grew worse when she said she wanted to return to Darwin.
“He got really mad and stormed to his car and started grabbing everything out,” she told the jury.
“He started throwing it all out (and) then he got a subwoofer (and) smashed that on the ground behind the car.”
When the pair arrived at Tennant Creek they would eventually part ways, but Ms Shier said Mr Hunt followed her in another vehicle up the Stuart Highway and flagged her down.
She claimed an angry Mr Hunt grabbed her by the throat and threatened her before she continued on her way.
Just days later, Ms Shier was at university when her lecturer asked her if she was ‘okay’.
Not understanding what she meant, the lecturer then showed Ms Shier a police release in which a photo of Ms Shier was a person of interest.
“I broke down,” she told the jury.
Mr Shier told the courtroom she didn’t tell police everything she knew because she was “scared” of what Mr Hunt and his associates.
With the permission of police, Ms Shier left Darwin for Perth.
The court heard she returned to the Top End almost a year later in May 2023 when she was arrested and extradited to the Northern Territory.
Mr Hunt’s lawyer, Marty Aust, is expected to cross-examine Ms Shier on Friday.
