Woodcutter murder trial: Sharon Graham believed ex-lover Bruce Saunders’ death was an ‘accident’

The lawyer for a woman accused of planning the murder of her ex-partner by a woodcutter has told a Queensland jury she thought his death was an accident.

Sharon Graham, 62, stands trial in Brisbane High Court after pleading not guilty to the murder of Bruce James Saunders, 53, at a property near Gympie on November 12, 2017.

Crown Prosecutor Greg Cummings told the jury in his opening comments that Graham was an hour’s drive from the scene when Mr Saunders was deliberately killed, but before that day she had procured her new lover, Gregory Lee Roser, to carry out the murder.

Sharon Graham, 62 (left), is accused of planning the murder of her ex-lover Bruce James Saunders, 53. Graham’s lawyer told Brisbane High Court his client believes Mr Saunders’ death was the result of an accident

Mr Cummings told jurors they would hear from Peter John Koenig, who would tell them he was the only person who saw Roser hit Mr Saunders from behind with a 40mm metal pipe and then repeatedly in the head of the man hit the victim while he was lying on the ground.

Mr Cummings said Mr Koenig would say he carried Mr Saunders’ lifeless body to a large wood chipper with Roser and partially lowered his body into the machine to make it appear he had been in a fatal accident while clearing trees had to help a recently deceased widow sell her land.

Bruce James Saunders, 53, (pictured) was killed at the property with his body placed in a wood chipper to make it appear as if he had fallen into the machine while clearing trees

“Ultimately it comes down to[Graham]having manipulative control over three people and as a result she was able to win very substantial amounts of (money) which she badly needed from Mr Saunders,” Mr Cummings said.

Mr Cummings alleged that Graham, who was living on a disability pension of just over $800 a fortnight, murdered Mr Saunders to inherit his home, car, $125,000 in retirement savings and $750,000 in life insurance .

In brief opening statements for the defense on Thursday, Graham’s attorney, Peter Richards, said there was no dispute that his client was the beneficiary of Mr Saunders’ will and insurance policies.

“Sharon Graham did not ask, advise or procure either Mr Roser or Mr Koenig to kill Mr Saunders,” Richards said.

“As far as Sharon Graham determined at the time, Mr Saunders died as a result of an accident and … one of the major issues in this process is the credibility and reliability of Peter John Koenig.”

The trial is scheduled to last another 16 days of hearings before Judge Peter Callaghan.

Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk