ACCUSED DENIES INTENT TO KILL
Jury hears evidence from man on trial for murder
A SUPREME Court jury has now heard all the evidence and arguments in Kevin Patrick Hanley’s murder trial and will be tasked with deciding whether he is guilty on Monday.
Hanley, 71, is accused of shooting Matthew Morcus in his girlfriend’s home in 2016 and took the stand yesterday to give evidence before the jury of seven women and five men.
“I didn’t go there to kill anyone,” he said.
“I was actually thinking he was going to attack me.
“He had a bottle in his hand and a look on his face.”
The Darling Downs grandfather told the court he attended the home, saw the deceased and his partner arguing and that his .22 calibre rifle was in the safety position when he arrived.
Hanley’s lawyer Michael Copley told the jury there was “no way in the world” his client’s guilt could be proved beyond reasonable doubt while Crown prosecutor Mark Green explained to jurors “you know (he) is a murderer”.
KEVIN Patrick Hanley told a Supreme Court jury he “didn’t go there to kill anyone” the night Matthew Morcus was shot at a home near Millmerran two years ago.
Giving evidence on day four of the trial, the court heard from Hanley under the questioning of Crown prosecutor Mark Green.
When asked whether he used a .22 calibre rifle found by police to shoot the 46-year-old, Hanley replied “I didn’t shoot Matthew Morcus.”
That evidence came after the court heard from Hanley that he attended the Cypress Gardens address “with the gun in the safety position” when he saw Mr Morcus arguing with his partner after an earlier altercation between him and the deceased.
“I was actually thinking he was going to attack me,” he said.
“He had a bottle in his hand and a look on his face.
“I knew if I stood there and saw something happening I would have dropped the rifle and grabbed Matthew.”
Hanley denied prosecutor Green’s suggestion to him that he was a liar.
When asked at what point he decided to shoot Mr Morcus, the 71-year-old said the deceased had touched the rifle, causing it to land on the ground.
“When these things happen you don’t know what you’re thinking, do you?” Hanley said.
“It was so quick I don’t know what happened.”
The court also heard closing arguments from both sides, with defence barrister Michael Copley telling jurors Hanley had seconds to react.
“He came to the door intending to protect Rachel and brought the firearm because he was concerned he would be blown away himself,” Hanley’s lawyer Michael Copley said.
“Things happened and it became a case where he had to protect himself.
“He did not present the weapon and threaten to shoot, he thought in the seconds he had available to him to think that something dreadful is going to happen here.
“In the moments available to him he had to make a split-second decision.”
Crown Prosecutor Mark Green told the jury the only way the firearm would discharge would be after 1.3kg of force was applied.
“You do know the accused man is a murderer,” he said.
“He killed Matthew Morcus by shooting him and intended to shoot him.
“Five people heard Morcus say ‘I love that man’ (and not threats to kill Hanley).”
Justice Martin Burns is expected to begin his summing up of the case on Monday, after which, a jury of seven women and five men will retire to deliberate on a verdict for the 71year-old on the charge of murder or the alternative manslaughter charge.