Sharon Graham, who counselled her lover to kill her ex and feed his body into a woodchipper, found guilty of murder - ABC News

Sharon Graham had been in a relationship with Bruce Saunders prior to his death.(Supplied)

A woman who counselled her lover to kill her ex-partner has been found guilty of his murder.

Bruce Saunders was killed at a rural property in Goomboorian, near Gympie, in 2017, and his body was fed into a woodchipper. 

In the Supreme Court in Brisbane on Friday afternoon, Mr Saunders' family cried out with relief and sobbed as the jury handed down its verdict. 

Justice Martin Burns responded by telling the jury this was "the only verdict I think you could have reached on the evidence".

Sharon Graham has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Bruce Saunders.(Supplied)

Justice Burns sentenced Graham to life in jail — the same sentence as her co-offender and former lover, Gregory Roser.

As Graham was led out of court, a person from the public gallery yelled "filthy animal". 

In November 2017, Mr Saunders was clearing trees with Roser and Peter Koenig, who had also been intimate with Graham.

Mr Saunders was struck on the back of the head with a metal bar before the other men fed his body through an industrial woodchipper. 

Gregory Roser met Sharon Graham in mid-2017.(Supplied)

After the machine was turned off, all that were left were his legs.

Graham, Koenig and Roser were charged with Mr Saunders’ murder in mid-2018.

Koenig received a reduced sentence and was released after agreeing to testify against Graham and Roser.

Roser was found guilty of Saunders’ murder in 2022 and handed a life sentence.

Graham was the last of the trio to go to trial.

Outside court, friends and family of Mr Saunders cried and hugged crown prosecutor Todd Fuller and the detectives who investigated the case.

'You are a despicable human'

In family statements read out in court, Mr Saunders' son Blake Saunders said: "You Sharon Graham are an evil person.

"My dad was a forgiving man. I am also forgiving. I will never forgive you."

"You are a despicable human. I lost my mum to breast cancer. You took the last, most important part of my life from me. If there's one thing that brings me comfort, it's that dad is now with mum."

Blake Saunders said his father's killer was "evil". (ABC News)

Outside court, Blake Saunders said it had been "a near impossible weight to carry for the past six years". 

"Thinking about this constantly and just dreading the worst decision. But we got the best one," Blake Saunders said. 

"It feels incredible to finally get closure to this and justice for my father.

"I felt the most incredible sense of relief wash over me. I basically fell into the arms of my family."

Colin Saunders outside court after Sharon Graham was found guilty of murder.(ABC News )

Mr Saunders' brother Colin Saunders said he wants him to be remembered "as a good man who loved his family and community and would do anything to help anyone". 

'Deep-seated psychopathy' 

Speaking directly to Graham during sentencing, Justice Burns said there were "no words for the likes of you". 

"By my observation, you have displayed all of the hallmarks of deep-seated psychopathy.

"And if at any point the authorities seriously consider your release, I ask that they keep that observation and rely upon it."

Gregory Roser and Sharon Graham had a "casual relationship".(Supplied: Facebook)

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiVGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvbmV3cy8yMDIzLTEwLTI3L3NoYXJvbi1ncmFoYW0tYnJ1Y2Utc2F1bmRlcnMtbXVyZGVyLzEwMzAzMzU4MNIBKGh0dHBzOi8vYW1wLmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvYXJ0aWNsZS8xMDMwMzM1ODA?oc=5

2023-10-27 07:31:36Z
2539360012

Bagikan Berita Ini