BOB THE BILLIONAIRE BLOWS TWICE THE LIMIT

JACOB Michael Smith has been found guilty of the murder of Brisbane mother Anthea Mari at her Norman Park home in August 2014.

After deliberating for one day, a Brisbane Supreme Court jury yesterday found Smith, 41, guilty of the slaying of the 34-year-old mother.

Ms Mari was found by a relative in bedding with her jaw clenched after being killed.

She had been sleeping on a mattress recovering from a stomach bug. Smith was arrested after being found hiding in the backyard of a friend’s Gold Coast home.

During the trial, the court heard Smith’s DNA was found under Ms Mari’s fingernails and medical experts said she died from asphyxia, with force being applied to her neck.

The jury found Smith killed Ms Mari by smothering or suffocating her with a pillow and tying a blanket five times around her neck. The court also heard Smith confessed to the killing after fleeing Ms Mari’s home, telling an ex-girlfriend: “I’ve done something stupid. Didn’t you see the news?”

During the trial, Smith pleaded guilty to stealing, assault occasioning bodily harm, rape and attempted rape of another woman.

The stealing charges related to Smith stealing the Norman Park mother’s phone and personal items before fleeing the house after the murder.

Smith’s defence counsel, Damian Walsh, told the court Ms Mari’s cause of death should have been “unknown” after an independent pathologist gave evidence there were no signs of asphyxiation or defensive wounds. Smith will be sentenced next Thursday.