Accused killer of mother-of-three was on bail and due to face court on serious charges

The accused killer of Kelly Wilkinson had been bailed after being charged with serious offences little more than a week before the mum-of-three died.

The man accused of killing his estranged wife and mother-of-three Kelly Wilkinson was given watch-house bail a week before her death and was due to face court on four serious matters next week.

Ms Wilkinson’s body was found burned in the backyard of her home in Spikes Court, Arundel, on Tuesday, after a concerned neighbour called police following a disturbance about 6.40am.

Mr Johnston was located two blocks away at a nearby address in a “semiconscious state”, also with burn injuries, police said on Tuesday.

Mother-of-three Kelly Wilkinson died on Tuesday morning and her estranged husband has been charged with murder. Picture: Facebook

Three children, aged two to nine, were home at the time of the alleged attack.

Johnston has also been charged with a breach of bail.

The American national is alleged to have committed the ‘serious’ offences he was on bail for at the time over a four-day period during the second week of February.

Brian Johnston met with his lawyer less than 48 hours before the death of Kelly Wilkinson. Johnston was also due to face court on other matters on April 30. Picture: Facebook

Johnston was charged on April 12, given immediate bail and was due to appear in court on those charges on April 30.

His lawyer Chris Hannay said on Wednesday, after Johnston’s murder charge had been mentioned in Southport Magistrates Court, that his client and “a colleague” had met with him on Sunday.

Mr Hannay did not elaborate on the nature of the charges which cannot be published for legal reasons.

“I met him on Sunday and got some instructions from him in relation to some other fairly serious matters that he has been charged with,” Mr Hannay told reporters.

High profile lawyer Chris Hannay has yet to meet with Johnston who remains in an induced coma in a Brisbane hospital. Picture: Scott Powick

“He was pretty coherent and took suitable instructions and was there with a colleague of his.”

Johnston was remanded in custody on the murder charge with his case to return to Southport Magistrates Court on June 4.

Mr Hannay’s office confirmed to NCA NewsWire on Thursday his client remains in an induced coma in the Princess Alexandra Hospital.

A GoFundMe page set-up to help raise Ms Wilkinson’s children has passed $116,000.