Murder trial: Accused killer disposed of body parts in wheelie bins around Launceston

A Tassie man accused of deliberately killing an acquaintance after a falling out allegedly shot him three times, later cutting up and disposing of his arms, legs and head in wheelie bins around the city. LATEST FROM COURT >>

A LAUNCESTON man accused of pre-planning and deliberately killing acquaintance Jake Anderson-Brettner after a falling out, allegedly shot him three times in the torso, later cutting off his arms, legs and head.

In his opening statement Director of Public Prosecutions Daryl Coates SC told the Launceston Supreme Court on Tuesday the torso was allegedly wrapped in a mattress protector and bedding and disposed of by Jack Harrison Vincent Sadler down an embankment off the Tasman Highway, in an area known as the Sideling.

Jake Anderson-Brettner

Mr Coates also alleged the legs, arms and head were put into garbage bags and placed in wheelie bins around the Launceston area: “the method recommended in the song Dead Body Disposal that the accused liked to listen to”.

Sadler has pleaded not guilty to murder.

Mr Coates said an arrangement had been made for Mr Anderson-Brettner, 24, to go to Sadler’s house on Dion Crescent in Riverside in the evening of August 15, 2018.

The prosecution alleges he had decided to kill Mr Anderson-Brettner, had placed plastic around a room in the house and asked his then girlfriend Gemma Clark to go into a bedroom with the dog and pretend they weren’t there.

The court was told Sadler then led him into the room he had prepared and produced a pistol. It heard Mr Anderson-Brettner pleaded with the accused before Sadler allegedly shot him three times and “went to great lengths to dispose of the body and clean the house”.

Mr Coates said he also moved Mr Anderson-Brettner’s car from Dion Crescent so it wouldn’t be noticed and instructed Ms Clark to destroy two mobile phones in a microwave.

Mr Anderson-Brettner was reported missing to police by his girlfriend the following day.

In his response defence counsel Greg Richardson instructed the jury to “leave emotion out of the trial.”

He said the defence would not dispute that Mr Anderson-Brettner was killed or Sadler was involved in the disposal of the body, but said the issue was “did Jack Sadler kill Jake Anderson-Brettner?”  

“Wait until you have heard all the evidence, I have no doubt you will be told at the end by His Honour this is a circumstantial evidence case,” Mr Richardson said.