Man says ‘killing unlawful’

ALLEGED stomping murderer Walter Scope has admitted he unlawfully killed a man.

Cairns Supreme Court yesterday heard that Scope had admitted he “unlawfully killed” Robert Graham in November 2017.

He has pleaded not guilty in a trial for the murder of Mr Graham.

The admission came after evidence by forensic pathologist Dr Paul Botterill, who said Mr Graham’s brain was swollen and bruised with bleeding over the membrane.

Mr Graham died six days after an altercation with Mr Scope, who allegedly stomped on his head “four or five times” in revenge for being wounded with a samurai sword by the deceased two years earlier.

“It is my opinion that the cause of death was blunt force head injury,” Dr Botterill said.

In his closing to the jury, prosecutor Nigel Rees said Mr Scope was out for vengeance when he came across Mr Graham on Kidston St, Bungalow.

“He had the intent to kill or cause grievous bodily harm,” Mr Rees said.

He told the jury Mr Scope took the law into his own hands because he felt “there was no justice in the court system”.

Defending barrister Peter Feaney said his client was provoked by Mr Graham, who swung a punch at him and missed when confronted by Mr Scope in a chance encounter on November 10.

“There ... an extremely chance thing, was the man who had attacked him,” he said. The jury is expected to consider a verdict today.