Accused killer so ‘sweet’

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2019 themercury.com.au SUBSCRIPTIONS 1300 696 397 COLLEAGUES of a woman accused of murdering her husband have told a Supreme Court jury the woman was well-liked and a valued member of their team.

Margaret Anne Otto, 47, of Risdon Vale, and her friend Bradley Scott Purkiss, 43, of Elderslie, have both pleaded not guilty to murdering Ms Otto’s husband, Dwayne “Doc” Davies, 47, on Friday, May 26, 2017.

The prosecution case is that Mr Purkiss and Ms Otto, who were close friends, formed a plan to murder the tattoo artist and decided Mr Purkiss would carry out the killing.

As the trial continued in Hobart yesterday, Ms Otto’s boss at P & J Sheds and other colleagues took the witness stand.

“[Ms Otto] was one of the best team members that I’ve had,” her boss, Paul Purdon, told the jury.

“She came into the job not knowing much about the building industry or our product.”

Mr Purdon said Ms Otto learnt quickly and “had a natural ability to get on with people and make them feel welcome”.

Mr Purdon said he had come to know Ms Otto well and was able to tell if “something was up” with her.

The jury heard Mr Purkiss visited Ms Otto at work for about half an hour on May 26.

Mr Purdon said he had not noticed anything unusual about Ms Otto’s behaviour before or after Mr Purkiss’s visit.

Mr Purdon also told the jury about a comment Ms Otto made to him previously — she said it would be easier if Mr Davies were dead. Mr Purdon said the comment did not cause him any concern, but rather was something that was said in “a moment of frustration”.

The jury heard Ms Otto’s colleague Alan Sharplin had described her as “a lovely person, very sweet, loving, kind and just a very nice person who would do anything for anyone and she had a great sense of humour”.

“Do you stand by that today?” Ms Otto’s lawyer asked him.

“Absolutely,” Mr said.

Another colleague, Luke Wood, said of Ms Otto: “Always very friendly, outgoing, [I] always got on really well with Marg.”

It is alleged Mr Purkiss “lured” Mr Davies to his Elderslie home on the evening of May 26 and shot him in the head and back.

The trial, before Chief Justice Alan Blow, continues. Sharplin