Jury to concentrate on two 'suspects' in murder trial

THE accused denies killing Alex Jeffery and instead points at another man seen out that night in Goondiwindi.

Alex Jefferey was just 25 when found dead in Goondiwindi. Picture: Contributed

A TOOWOOMBA Supreme Court jury was  urged to concentrate on two "suspects" during the trial of a man charged with murder.

Robert Ian Trebeck, 39, has pleaded not guilty to killing Alexis Jeffery whose naked body was found on the banks of the Macintyre River behind the Cultural Centre in Goondiwindi on the morning of March 16, 2014.

Justice Ann Lyons told the jury in a pre-trial address that this was a retrial.

Opening the prosecution case, Crown prosecutor Carl Heaton told the jury it was the Crown case that the then 25-year-old mother had been strangled with the leg of her own jeans which were found in a hedge nearby two days later.

Mr Heaton said Trebeck's DNA was found on Ms Jeffery's body and on her jeans which also contained her blood.

Through CCTV footage taken from a number of businesses that night, the jury will be shown the movements of a number of people who will be called to give evidence, he said.

Amongst the footage will be images of Ms Jeffery and Trebeck walking on Goondiwindi's main street, and the jury will hear from police officers who saw the pair in a town park around 3am.

However, another man to feature in some of that CCTV was Boggabilla resident Daniel Rowsell who the defence claim could have been responsible for Ms Jeffery's death.

Defence barrister Ben Power in his opening statement said the court would hear a taped conversation between his client and his client's parents after their son had been arrested.

In that conversation, Trebeck tells his parents that he had been on the river bank with Ms Jeffery when Rowsell suddenly appeared and attacked them.

Trebeck claimed Rowsell had gone to kick him but missed and struck Ms Jeffery in the head.

Trebeck said he had then run off.

Mr Power said by telephone records it would be shown that his client and Ms Jeffery had exchanged more than 300 text messages or calls in the two weeks leading up to that weekend.

Mr Heaton said Trebeck had told a number of versions as to his movements that night.

He had been seen returning to the house where he was staying the night about 5.15am and that he had scratches on the inside of his arm.

He told friends that he had fallen down while walking home.

Mr Heaton said Trebeck had been recorded in an anonymous call to Crime Stoppers saying "the person of interest" had been set up and that police should concentrate on the person of interest's sister and brother-in-law.

The trial continues.
 

Originally published as Jury to concentrate on two 'suspects' in murder trial