Whereas feeding Bruce Saunders’ physique right into a woodchipper, Peter Koenig ensured his buddy’s legs have been uncovered so it regarded like an accident, a courtroom has heard.
Gregory Lee Roser, 63, is on trial for homicide after Saunders, 54, died whereas engaged on a property north of Brisbane in November 2017. Roser has pleaded not responsible.
Sharon Graham, 61, requested Roser and Koenig to kill Saunders and make it seem like an accident in a bid to say her ex-partner’s $750,000 life insurance coverage coverage, the courtroom was instructed.
The jury has been proven police footage of Saunders’ legs protruding from a woodchipper on the Goomboorian property close to Gympie after he had been clearing timber with Roser and Koenig.
Roser killed Saunders by repeatedly hitting him with a metallic bar earlier than they carried the physique to the close by chipper, Koenig instructed Brisbane supreme courtroom on Wednesday.
Koenig mentioned he used a department to push Saunders into the machine however determined to cease with the legs nonetheless protruding so it seemed to be an accident.
“Simply to depart a little bit of Bruce there I suppose … for the police to see it,” mentioned Koenig, who pleaded responsible to accent after the very fact to homicide in June.
Koenig instructed the jury that he couldn’t ring triple zero as a result of his palms have been shaking however Roser was capable of name Graham earlier than handing him the cellphone.
Koenig agreed that he instructed Graham: “Bruce is now not with us, job’s completed”.
Koenig mentioned Roser then started screaming “one thing like … oh Bruce, what have you ever completed” in a transfer he believed would make neighbours suppose there had been an accident.
Koenig mentioned Roser instructed him they must get their “story straight” earlier than police arrived.
At first Koenig didn't consider Saunders would die, saying it wasn’t the primary time Graham had requested him to kill a person for cash.
He mentioned Graham instructed him to homicide one other ex-partner, Barry Collins, earlier in 2017 and “make it seem like a truck accident”.
Requested why, Koenig mentioned: “As a result of he had quite a lot of superannuation cash, she was the beneficiary to it”.
“I simply agreed with it to maintain her pleased (however) no (didn’t do something) – he's nonetheless alive immediately,” Koenig instructed the jury.
He mentioned he additionally refused to kill Saunders, who he thought of a buddy.
He was hopeful Saunders wouldn't die after they'd completed clearing timber on the property for a 3rd straight weekend.
“I believed ‘magnificence, it’s not going to occur’,” Koenig mentioned.
However as they walked as much as the property’s home, Koenig mentioned he observed Saunders fall to the bottom.
“I circled and he (Saunders) was mendacity on the bottom on his again along with his eyes opened somewhat bit … he was twitching,” he mentioned.
“Greg was there with a bar and struck (Saunders) a pair extra occasions within the head.
“I mentioned ‘what the fuck are you doing?’ and he mentioned ‘I believe I've killed him’ and ‘he’s lifeless’.”
Koenig mentioned he helped carry Saunders over to the chipper as a result of Roser couldn’t by himself resulting from a nasty again.
He agreed that he owned the metallic bar and put it again in his truck afterwards.
Koenig mentioned he had been in an intimate relationship with Graham, who was relationship Roser on the time of her ex-partner Saunders’ dying.
On the trial, Graham has been accused of being in a “love quadrangle” with Roser, Koenig and Saunders, plotting the latter’s homicide for months.
Graham has pleaded not responsible to Saunders’ homicide however a Brisbane supreme courtroom decide on Tuesday ordered she be tried individually from Roser.
Koenig denied that he murdered Saunders as a result of he had been “obsessed and infatuated” with Graham for greater than 10 years.
“I didn't kill him,” Koenig instructed Roser’s barrister, Lars Falcongreen.
Roser’s trial continues.
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