Accused’s torture threat

Alleged killer on desperate hunt for man later found murdered

THE man accused of murdering Bradley Wade Breward in a Launceston unit on New Year’s Day 2017 sought “advice” on “waste disposal” from a friend that day, a court heard.

Mark Rodney Jones, 43, messaged Terry Taylor, from whom he was renting a shed at George Town, and said he had “caught up” with Mr Breward and “things went bad”.

Mr Taylor yesterday told a Supreme Court trial in Launceston that Mr Jones had previously complained to him he believed Mr Breward had stolen his Nissan Patrol 4WD ute, which had gone missing from a roadside where it had been advertised for sale.

The court heard Mr Jones expressed an intention to “waterboard” Mr Breward.

“He was going to torture him to get the information about his ute,” Mr Taylor said.

Mr Jones offered a $5000 reward for information about its whereabouts, as well as an added cash reward for anyone who led him to Mr Breward. Mr Taylor told the court Mr Jones claimed to have arranged to pay $1500 to the partner of one of Mr Breward’s friends to “set up” a meeting.

The Crown alleges Mr Jones, who has pleaded not guilty, waterboarded Mr Breward and suffocated him to death with a plastic bag in a Newnham unit before dumping his body in Lake Eugenana, near Devonport.

Mr Breward’s cousin Corey Barnett told the court Mr Breward had been in two fights a few days apart in December 2016.

The first left him with two black eyes and the other in which he was attacked with a hammer.

But Mr Barnett said Mr Breward seemed fine on New Year’s Eve, as the pair celebrated, drinking with friends, and travelled to Launceston CBD to watch the fireworks.

Alana Brown, a former neighbour of Mr Breward’s mother, told the court Mr Jones visited her Ravenswood home on December 16, 2016, in an attempt to find out where Mr Breward was. Mr Breward’s mother contacted Mr Jones by phone and told him she had disowned her son and that “if I knew where he was I would tell you”.

Mr Jones told her he wanted to “shake [Mr Breward] up” and “I don’t want to go to jail for doing it but I will find him”.

Mr Jones discussed Mr Breward in an exchange of texts with Launceston businessman Timothy Haab, in which he said: “I’m a nasty c... crossed but I’m not crazy” and “he won’t steal again”. Mr Haab had contacted Mr Jones and tried to be sympathetic when Mr Jones told him about the alleged theft.

“I hate these low-life bastards; make sure you take his teeth,” Mr Haab told Mr Jones in a text, later saying: “(it’s) just f...ing wrong, kill the c...”, and that “[Mr Breward] needs torturing, vigilante style’”.

There is no suggestion Mr Haab was involved in any crime.

The trial before Justice Robert Pearce continues.