Punishment ‘gone wrong’ claim in toolbox murder trial

Rex Martinich | June 17, 2025

One of three men accused of murdering two drug dealers by drowning them in a toolbox was party to punishing them but never intended to kill, a jury has heard.

Cory Breton, 28, and Iuliana Triscaru, 31, were allegedly murdered at Kingston in Logan, south of Brisbane, on January 24, 2016.

Police divers found their bodies two weeks later locked in the toolbox submerged in Scrubby Creek.

Stou Daniels, Davy Malu Junior Taiao and Trent Michael Thrupp have stood trial in Queensland’s Supreme Court over the past two weeks after pleading not guilty to two counts each of murder.

Daniels’ barrister John Fraser told the jury on Tuesday during his closing address that there was no evidence his client was at the alleged murder scene.

“Those tragic events that happened at Scrubby Creek were the escapades of (another man) and anyone else there. It was way outside of what anybody else contemplated,” Mr Fraser said.

The jury previously heard evidence that the pair could have been alive when the toolbox was thrown into the water and weighed down with concrete.

Crown prosecutor Nathan Crane previously told the jury he would allege Daniels and Taiao were liable for murder by forcing the alleged victims into the toolbox at a Kingston unit in the hours before their death.

Thrupp either threw the toolbox into nearby Scrubby Creek or was present when it happened, Mr Crane said.

The jury heard Daniels had taken part in what he thought was a “boot ride”, which was a common punishment in drug-dealing circles involving detaining people to scare them.

“This case was about a boot ride that unfortunately went wrong at the last minute. It  does not mean (Daniels) is guilty of murder,” Mr Fraser said.

The jury heard the prosecution could not prove beyond reasonable doubt that Daniels knew at the time the people he was aiding to carry out the boot ride had homicidal intent.

Mr Fraser was the last of the three defence barristers to give his closing address to the jury.

Barristers for Taiao and Thrupp told the jury on Monday that each other’s clients, or prosecution witness Lelan Harrington, were responsible for the murders.

Mr Fraser told the jury they could not trust Mr Harrington as he had told “massive lies” to reduce his sentence for abducting and assaulting Mr Breton and Ms Triscaru.

“He has not served one day in jail … he got the deal of the century,” Mr Fraser said.

The jury previously heard Mr Harrington deny he was involved in murdering Mr Breton and Ms Triscaru.

Justice Glenn Martin is due to give the jurors directions before they begin deliberations on their verdicts.