Mahony planned murder

He lied to and manipulated investigators, Crown claims

AFTER the death of his wife, Louis Mahony had lied to and manipulated those around him into believing Lainie Coldwell had fallen from a tree leading to the head injury that killed her.

In his closing address, Crown prosecutor Carl Heaton told Toowoomba Supreme Court that as an ex-policeman Mahony knew about crime scenes and police investigations.

Mahony had killed Lainie and staged the scene to fit his story that she had fallen from the large gum tree at their Charleville home, he said.

However, three pathologists and two biochemical engineers agreed that had that been the case Lainie should have had other significant injuries but she had none.

Mahony had a story that he repeated to police and those he came into contact with and to some extent it had worked in that no crime scene had been established at the home that day.

Mr Heaton reminded the jury of Mahony’s behaviour before and after Lainie’s death including Googling “limousines” and “Hilton accommodation” on the day of Lainie’s funeral; having a six-minute telephone conversation with his alleged South Korean lover Mira Park as Lainie lay in hospital the night after sustaining the injury; that he had applied for a $1.5m life insurance policy just two months before Lainie died.

Mahony’s mastercard had been used to buy a $4800 diamond ring just months after Lainie’s death and during a visit to South Korea six months after her death Mahony was photographed with Mira Park who was sporting a diamond ring, he said.

Mr Heaton suggested that Mahony’s black F250 utility which had been parked against the tree with a ladder from the tray up into the tree that day was part of the plan.

He suggested the ute blocked the view from the front of the yard to a gym in the back where he suggested Lainie Coldwell had been struck to the head before being placed at the foot of the tree.

Justice James Douglas will continue summing up the case today.