Murder accused ‘a good person’

A WOMAN accused of murdering her husband has been described as “a good person” by the former partner of her coaccused, a court has heard.

Margaret Anne Otto, 46, of Risdon Vale, and her friend Bradley Scott Purkiss, 42, of Elderslie, have each pleaded not guilty to murdering Ms Otto’s husband, tattoo artist Dwayne “Doc” Davies.

The Supreme Court in Hobart yesterday heard from Mr Purkiss’s former partner Jill Roberts.

The Crown has alleged Mr Purkiss lured Mr Davies to the Elderslie property — where he lived with Ms Roberts — on Friday, May 26, 2017, shot Mr Davies and buried his body in a shallow bush grave at Levendale the next day.

It is alleged that while Ms Otto was not present during the killing, she and Mr Purkiss had planned it together.

Ms Roberts said Mr Davies had been spending a significant amount of time at her home and she was not happy about it.

She said Mr Purkiss agreed to talk to Mr Davies about the amount of time he was spending at their home and on May 26, 2017, asked her to leave so he could have the conversation with Mr Davies that evening.

Ms Roberts said Mr Purkiss told her she should stay away in case Mr Davies became aggressive.

The court heard she was returning home when she re- ceived a text message from Mr Purkiss at 8.49pm telling her “things all good at home”.

The court heard Ms Roberts replied asking Mr Purkiss if Mr Davies had left and Mr Purkiss replied: “Leaving now, crying. All the bull s … under the sun, even told me he’d kill himself on the way home. Got a shock when I told him you’d be doing everyone around you a favour.”

Ms Roberts said she was worried about driving on the same road as Mr Davies because she thought he might be emotional and driving erratically so she pulled off the road at the old Elderslie Uniting Church and waited for a while before continuing home.

While there, she said she noticed Ms Otto’s car drive past but she could not see who was in the car. Ms Roberts said when she arrived home, Mr Purkiss’s car was there but he was not. The court heard he had left a note telling Ms Roberts that he had “gone to Dad’s”. She said she next saw Mr Purkiss later that weekend.

Ms Roberts said Ms Otto had expressed to her that she and Mr Davies had a difficult relationship and were under financial strain. She said Ms Otto’s demeanour was “sometimes a little overwhelmed, a little stressed and tired”.

“But I did find her a very nice person to communicate with,” Ms Roberts said. “I liked her as a good person, I thought she was a good person.”

The trial, before Chief Justice Alan Blow, continues.