By Louise Hall
The family of murdered environment compliance officer Glen Turner has launched a scathing attack on the Turnbull family, accusing them of "hijacking" patriarch Ian Turnbull's murder trial by painting him as the victim of overzealous authorities.
Speaking outside the Supreme Court after a jury found Turnbull, 81, guilty of murder, Mr Turner's sister Fran Pearce said the defence case was "an attack on Glen's character" and a "platform" for the family to air their grievances about environmental laws.
Glen Turner's widow Alison McKenzie, left, and his sister Fran Pearce.Credit: Emma Partridge
"We expected the trial to be about the murder of Glen Turner, a good man doing his job on behalf of our community," Ms Pearce said on Friday.
"Instead it was hijacked by the defence into an attack on Glen's character and a platform for the Turnbull dynasty to continue their grievance against the native vegetation laws."
Glen Turner, his wife Alison McKenzie and their children Jack and Alexandra.Credit: Tracy Fulford Photography
Turnbull pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to the manslaughter on the grounds that his capacity to understand right or wrong or to control himself was substantially impaired by an underlying mental illness.
The defence case was that, at the time of the shooting, Turnbull was suffering from a major depressive disorder, caused by years of tension over illegal land clearing on the family's properties around Croppa Creek and Moree, in northern NSW.
The extended family had been warned, cautioned and prosecuted several times by the Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) for breaching the Native Vegetation Act.
Turnbull's barrister Alexis Todd SC asked the jury to consider whether the OEH's and in particular Mr Turner's investigations and prosecutions "wore [Turnbull] down and caused him to ultimately lose self-control and snap".
Murderer Ian Turnbull is escorted out of court during the trial.Credit: James Alcock
The jury rejected Turnbull's defence and found him guilty of murder after one day of deliberations.
Ms Pearce said the verdict brought the family a sense of relief that justice had been done.
Pictures of burning stacks of native vegetation taken by Office of Environment and Heritage officer Robert Strange in Croppa Creek just before the killing of Glen Turner.Credit: NSW Police
However, she said the defence case had added to the distress already being suffered by the family, in particular by Mr Turner's young children Alexandra and Jack.
"We're very disappointed in the extended duration and the execution of the trial due to the defence team's tactics," Ms Pearce said.
Former Office of Environment and Heritage officer Robert Strange.Credit: Daniel Munoz
"The murderer was portrayed as the victim – a poor depressed, respectable farmer driven to despair by the Office of Environment and Heritage.
"In reality he is a wealthy property developer who simply refused to accept that the law applied to him."
Glen Turner's partner Alison McKenzie outside the NSW Supreme Court.Credit: Janie Barrett
Mr Turner's partner Alison McKenzie said: "We're never going to be able to fill the void that's been left in our lives but we got the right result," she said.
Having been alerted to Mr Turner's presence near his family's properties by a farmhand, Turnbull drove to Talga Lane, Croppa Creek in the early evening of July 29, 2014.
Turnbull, a lifelong farmer from Moree, shot Mr Turner, 51, in the neck and then chased him around a car for at least 22 minutes before fatally shooting him in the back
Mr Turner's colleague, former OEH compliance officer Robert Strange, told the court he pleaded in vain with Turnbull to put down his gun and let him seek medical help.
"I said, 'Sir, put the gun down, what are you doing?'," Mr Strange said.
Turnbull said, "No, you've ruined the Turnbulls, you're continually persecuting us, the only way you are going home is in a body bag".
In cross-examination, Turnbull admitted he intended to kill Mr Turner.
A sentencing hearing will be held on June 15 when victim impact statements will be read.
Turnbull has been in custody since the night of the murder.