Police bodycam shows calm arrest over alleged DV murder
Robyn Wuth and Allanah Sciberras |
The chipped front steps of a rundown home have become the backdrop to an alleged domestic-violence murder after a young woman was found dead inside.
Neighbours told AAP on Wednesday the 27-year-old woman often sat on the steps with her ex-partner before tragedy struck at the residence south of Brisbane.
A 37-year-old man has been charged with her murder, with police bodycam footage showing him sitting on the same stairs before he is calmly handcuffed at the Slacks Creek residence.
The footage was taken in the early hours of Wednesday after the man phoned police to report an unresponsive woman at the address.
Emergency services found the woman in a bedroom at the back of the home but could not revive her.
She was believed to have been choked to death, but an autopsy would determine her death’s exact cause, police said.
The man and woman are believed to have previously been in a relationship that had since ended.
The woman had recently sought help from police about domestic and family violence incidents, police said.
Neighbours, who did not want to be identified due to privacy reasons, said the woman was a “pretty regular” visitor to the address but believed she did not live there.
The man had been at the house only a matter of weeks and mostly kept to himself, locals said.
In the hours before the alleged assault, neighbours said they noticed the man and woman sitting together on the front steps of the property.
They said they appeared calm and there were no raised voices or arguments.
Neighbours say they had no idea of the tragedy until emergency services arrived about 12.30am.
Police body camera footage shows the man sitting on the front steps as officers move in.
He is seen speaking calmly to police before standing, slowly turning and placing his hands behind his back to be handcuffed.
Detectives then dress him in a blue forensic suit to preserve potential physical evidence.
Within hours, he had been charged with murder.
Police say only the man and woman were inside the house at the time of the alleged incident.
The woman had recently sought help from police and a temporary protection order had been issued, police said.
“Police had taken the appropriate actions and that support had been offered to this woman as well, and that other support services had been engaged,” Detective Inspector Ian Galpin said on Wednesday.
He said why she was at her ex-partner’s home on the night she died remained a key question for investigators.
Det Galpin described it as an “absolutely tragic event”, saying any life lost to domestic and family violence had a devastating impact on loved ones and the wider community.
Officers declared the property a crime scene and conducted door-to-door inquiries in surrounding streets.
Anyone with information should contact police.
The man is due to face Brisbane Magistrates Court on Thursday.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
Lifeline 13 11 14
Men’s Referral Service 1300 766 491
AAP