Andrew Walsh murder trial: 'Perfect storm' led to body in concrete, jury told

A “perfect storm” of anger and suspicion led two men to kill an associate and hide his body in a pit filled with concrete, a jury has heard.

Joshua Searston, 27 and Dewald De Klerk, 30, last week in the Queensland Supreme Court pleaded not guilty to murdering Andrew Walsh, 35, at a Coopers Plains transport business in Brisbane’s south in November 2021.

The body of Mr Walsh — known as “Ghost” — was not discovered until March 2022 when police dug down 1.5 metres into the pit.

Crown prosecutor Chris Cook on Wednesday told the jury in Brisbane the defendants attacked and stabbed Mr Walsh believing he had been “franking”, which meant sexually assaulting someone after drugging them.

“De Klerk assisted Searston’s plan to do serious harm to Mr Walsh but things don’t always go to plan ... there’s a perfect storm brewing that night,” Mr Cook said in his closing submissions.

He said Mr Walsh, according to a witness Jessica Noy, was subject to an “interrogation” involving him being flogged and hit with knuckledusters.

“The violence that occurred was extreme ... they were covered in blood,” Mr Cook said.

He said Searston referred to Mr Walsh as a “putrid dog” after he had died and the defendants loaded his body onto a forklift.

“It was the ultimate sign of disrespect before they chucked him into the pit like a piece of garbage.”

De Klerk’s barrister David Funch told the jury Ms Noy was a “disgracefully dishonest” witness who, even if believed, could not confirm where his client was or what he did during most of the time around Mr Walsh’s death.

“There is no evidence Mr De Klerk was involved in the killing,” Mr Funch said.

Searston’s barrister Anna Cappellano said her client did not dispute having a physical confrontation with Mr Walsh and had lied to police when denying knowledge of the warehouse where Mr Walsh died.

“The main issues are what did (Mr Searston) do and what did he intend to do on that night as it relates to Mr Walsh?” Ms Cappellano said.

“Ms Noy proved to be such an unreliable witness, such a dishonest witness, that her evidence into what occurred in relation to these critical issues cannot be relied upon.”

Chief Justice Helen Bowskill will give her summing up and directions to the jury on Monday to court closures before Tropical Cyclone Alfred makes landfall.

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