Stabbing trio acquitted
A MOUNT Garnet couple and their friend have been found not guilty of the stabbing murder of a man over allegedly stolen drugs at a remote property.
Josephine Bahor, 37, and Christopher Hodkinson, 41, along with their friend James Blakeway, 40, had denied intending to kill Mark Miller, 36, when he was fatally stabbed at their property in May 2018.
They had also pleaded not guilty to the attempted murder of his younger brother Robert, 35, who also suffered stab wounds. Their lawyers had argued the Miller brothers were well known in the area for their violent criminal histories and had already made a visit to the couple’s property earlier in the evening before the altercation between the two groups.
The jury deliberated for almost two days before returning a not-guilty verdict to both murder and attempted murder for all three defendants.
During the trial the court heard the trio had armed themselves with items including a knife and cane knife amid concerns the brothers would return.
After the altercation on the fence line of their property, Bahor wrapped the knife in a plastic bag and later handed it to police.
Following their acquittal in the Cairns Supreme Court on Tuesday afternoon, the court heard all three had pleaded guilty to drug offences which had been unveiled during the course of the police murder investigation.
Hodkinson and Blakeway both pleaded guilty to trafficking cannabis, while Bahor pleaded guilty to drug production and drug possession.
Blakeway dealt drugs for about 18 months in the leadup to the man’s death, while Hodkinson’s period of offending was just three months prior.
The trio were each granted immediate parole, with Bahor and Hodkinson having served 880 days in custody and Blakeway spending 598 days behind bars prior to the trial.
While sentencing Blakeway, Justice Jim Henry said his trafficking involved amounts that were predominantly “street level dealing” to seven customers.
“There was no suggestion of significant money-making,” he said.