Emails blew whistle on liaison with alleged murder victim EX- WIFE TELLS OF PILCHER’S AFFAIR
THE man accused of murdering Townsville grandmother Elizabeth “Beth” Kippen last July had his case briefly mentioned in Townsville Magistrates Court yesterday.
Anthony O’Keefe is charged with 18 counts including murder, two counts of attempted murder, acts intended to maim, disfigure or disable and threatening violence.
The matter was adjourned for mention on September 8. DANE Andrew Pilcher’s exwife has told a court their marriage ended after she discovered he was having an affair with the woman he is accused of murdering.
Pilcher has pleaded not guilty in the Supreme Court in Townsville to the murder of his former partner Corinne Henderson on September 26, 2015.
It has been alleged Pilcher stabbed Ms Henderson 21 times after seeing a photo of her with her new boyfriend posted on Facebook.
Pilcher’s ex- wife Katherine Pilcher yesterday told the court that he was in the army when she met him in 2006.
The court heard the couple married in 2010, purchased a home and had a son in 2012.
During questioning from defence barrister Harvey Walters, Ms Pilcher said she was unaware her husband was having an affair until she discovered emails between him and Ms Henderson. She said she confronted Pilcher and contacted Ms Henderson.
“You tried to bring to her attention that you were married to Dane and that she should cease the relationship with him?” Mr Walters asked. “Yes,” she replied. Ms Pilcher testified that she and Pilcher separated about January 2014. She said Pilcher was “hysterical” when he phoned her on the night of September 26, 2015.
Crown prosecutor Michael Cowen QC read to the court a statement Ms Pilcher made to police the following day.
“I received a phone call from Dane and he was hysterical. He said ‘ I think I have killed her’,” he read.
“You said ‘ Stay with her, hold her and call an ambulance’, and he replied ‘ I can’t, I’ve killed her’. You said ‘ Just stay with her or run’.”
Ms Henderson’s friend Michelle Passalawua told the court she first learned that Pilcher and Ms Henderson had split up in July 2015.
She said she moved into Ms Henderson’s unit at the start of the following month.
Ms Passalawua said in late August 2015, Ms Henderson had changed the locks.
“Dane had a copy of the original key that he wouldn’t give back so she had the locks changed,” she said.
Pilcher’s childhood friend Amie Read said in the weeks leading up to Ms Henderson’s death she had exchanged text messages with Pilcher about his relationship breakdown.
Mr Cowen read out a text sent to Ms Read on September 8. “My lying and indecision finally took its toll and she gave up on me. I feel destroyed and empty,” he read to the court.
Mr Cowen read out another text sent on September 24.
“I’m still struggling to accept it but I have to otherwise I’ll start to hate and become angry and abusive. I don’t want to be that bloke,” he said.
The trial is scheduled continue today. to