After a woman jokingly told a friend that she had killed her husband in 2008, the woman was charged with murder when her husband's body was located in a small grave behind their home, as reported by Victoria's The Age.
A.W., 44, allegedly struck her husband, D.K., with a pickaxe – 16 times to the head – until he died and then buried him in the couple's back yard. The two had been together for 23 years. The case is being heard in Melbourne Magistrates Court, before magistrate D.L.
According to police records, A.W. wrapped D.K. up in a tarpaulin before she buried him some time between July 10 and 31. The couple had lived in Indented Head on the Bellarine Peninsula.
After the killing, A.W. told their two children that D.K. had moved away to Kiama. By October of 2008, D.K.'s family reported him missing.
According to a friend of A.W.'s, A.W. "told me she had killed (D.K.) and had put him in the backyard and her and (her new partner) looked at me to see my reaction. I didn't believe (A.W.) was capable of something like that. When she said it to me she was waiting to gauge my opinion with a smirk on her face."
J.M. said she thought that A.W. might have been joking at the time because after A.W. had confessed she quickly added the words, "as if" and laughed it off.
At the time J.M. allegedly told A.W. "…that would be a bloody stupid thing to do because that would be the first place that they would look."
After D.K.'s remains had been found, A.W. was charged. Police believe that D.W. got rid of the pickaxe at Geelong East beach.
During the court proceedings a picture was painted that alleged a history of domestic violence – inflicted by D.K. on the couple's children and A.W. J.M. recounted times where D.K. had made nasty comments toward A.W. at social gatherings. In another instance, J.M. recalled a cigarette burn A.W. had on her arm that D.K. allegedly caused. J.M. also said that D.K. had made unwanted sexual advances towards her at a party when A.W. was not around.
On behalf of D.K., his two brothers said they never witnessed any instances of violence amongst the couple. They both recall seeing D.K. in 2006 or 2007 and, at that time, believed that A.W. had asked D.K. to leave the couple's home.
According to police, following D.K.'s death A.W pretended to speak to him on the phone in front of family members. A month later she told her son that D.K. had sent a wristwatch for the boy's birthday that he had missed.
Contact a criminal defense attorney if you have been charged with a crime. No matter how serious, it's best to get started on your defense and ready yourself for court as soon as possible.
