Bernard Robbins’ appeal against the murder conviction of Greg Robbins unsuccessful

A Sunshine Coast man found guilty of violently killing his brother days before his own wedding has learnt his fate after appealing his conviction.

The Supreme Court has dismissed Bernard John Robbins’ appeal against his murder conviction. Picture: NCA Newswire / Dan Peled

A Sunshine Coast man convicted of murdering his brother days before his own wedding has had his appeal dismissed in the Supreme Court of Queensland.

Buderim man Bernard John Robbins attempted to appeal a jury’s decision to convict him of the 2019 stabbing murder of his older brother, Greg Robbins.

Robbins argued they were in an abusive domestic relationship and he killed his brother in order to preserve his own life.

Robbins told the court he had witnessed his brother be violent towards their father on three separate occasions and was fearful for his own safety around him.

The first of the three incidents, said to have occurred between Greg and his father, took place 40 years before the stabbing.

Greg Robbins was allegedly stabbed to death by his brother, Bernard John Robbins, just days before Bernard's wedding.

On the day he was killed, Greg had travelled to Robbins’ unit in Buderim from Western Australia arriving on June 12, 2019, to attend his brother’s wedding due to be held three days later.

Shortly after his arrival an argument between the brothers broke out at the unit, which quickly escalated into a physical fight and resulted in Robbins pulling two knives and fatally stabbing his sibling seven times.

The stabbing took place in front of Robbins’ fiancee, daughter and his brother’s partner, with all three women unable to successfully intervene.

Supreme Court judges on Friday, February 17, found Robbins failed to prove to the court he and his brother were involved in such an abusive domestic relationship, which required him to stab the 61-year-old several times to preserve his own life.

Despite a history of aggression and arguments within the family, the appeal was ultimately rejected on the doubt Robbins had felt his life was threatened by his brother on the night he murdered him.

Their relationship was not found to be considered an abusive domestic relationship due to the lengthy periods between outbursts and the lack of any serious violence from previous fights, with the court told most past abuse had been verbal.

Robbins was previously found guilty of murder on April 28, 2021, and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Originally published as Bernard Robbins’ appeal against the murder conviction of Greg Robbins unsuccessful