Murder accused ‘freed of debt’

THREE days after her husband went missing, Risdon Vale woman Margaret Anne Otto told a family member she was “debt-free, I’m free”, the Supreme Court in Hobart has heard.

Ms Otto, 46, 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.

It is alleged Mr Purkiss lured Mr Davies to his home on May 26, 2017, shot him to the head and back, and buried his body the following day at Levendale.

The Crown has also alleged Ms Otto, while not present for the killing, had planned it with Mr Purkiss.

Mr Davies was reported missing on May 27, 2017 and his body was found about a week later.

Mr Davies’ stepmother Karen Davies yesterday told the jury Ms Otto rang her the Monday after Mr Davies went missing.

“She rang and just said that he still hadn’t come home . . . and she said . . . ‘ I’m $350,000 out of debt now, I’m debt free, I’m free,” Mrs Davies said.

“I said, ‘have you got him dead already?’ and she said, ‘he’s been gone for three days, he won’t be coming back’.”

Mrs Davies said the last conversation she had with her stepson was about his financial worries.

“We suggested to him that he could go bankrupt, that was one of the last things we discussed before he left,” Mrs Davies said.

She said she was aware Mr Davies paid money to an outlaw motorcycle gang so that he could operate his tattoo shop at Bridgewater.

She said Ms Otto told her that Mr Davies had stopped paying the money.

Ms Otto’s friend Michelle Peck told the jury she would describe the relationship between Mr Davies and Ms Otto as “rocky” because of Mr Davies’ previous periods of drug use, financial stress and because Mr Davies was “very demanding” of his wife.

Mr Davies’ stepson Brady Davies told the jury about a conversation he had with Mr Purkiss in the days after Mr Davies’ disappearance.

“I said, ‘do you know where my dad is’ and then it went really silent like in a movie ... and then Brad said ‘no, I don’t, mate’,” Brady Davies said.

The trial, before Chief Justice Alan Blow, continues.