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A woman accused of violently assaulting an elderly man has been charged with killing a retired Sydney lawyer with a frying pan on her birthday.
Peter McCarthy, 77, was found bludgeoned to death on the floor of his South Coogee flat on December 20, 2020, as heard by a New South Wales Supreme Court jury.
His body was found in the living room, partially covered in a blue tarp and a bloody jumper, surrounded by broken furniture, broken glasses, and various inappropriate objects.
Prosecutor Katherine Jeffreys said a bent frying pan with a broken handle was found near the body.
“The Crown case is that the head injury was caused by one or more objects, including this frying pan,” Ms Jeffries said in her opening statement on Monday.
Officials say Mr McCarthy was killed hours after he left his neighbor’s apartment in the early afternoon of Dec. 17.
The jury heard the 47-year-old woman “staunchly and vehemently” denied killing her girlfriend and pointed the finger at another girlfriend of Mr McCarthy’s who had the keys to his apartment.
However, officials are expected to produce evidence that Smith had a penchant for “violently attacking older men”.
“The judge will give directions in due course on how you can use the evidence,” Ms. Jefferies said.
DNA evidence and fingerprints matching the profiles of Mr. McCarthy and Mr. Smith were found on items throughout the block, including a blue tarp.
Smith, who pleaded not guilty to the murder, told police they met and had drinks together after the older man texted her to wish her a happy 46th birthday.
At his apartment, she said, she helped Mr. McCarthy around the house, made potato cakes for dinner and listened to him talk about local women before leaving around 8 p.m.
Smith told police that she cut herself with a screwdriver while fixing McCarthy’s rack and her blood could be found in the room.
“She raised her hand when it came to wrongdoing, including one serious offense,” lawyer Sharin Hall said in a statement.
“But she denies that there was a serious wrongdoing involved in the death of Mr. McCarthy.”
Ms Hall urged jurors to criticize the actions of another woman close to Mr McCarthy who had keys to his apartment.
Post time: Oct-24-2022