DeathSpace: A Collection of Dead Myspace Users

Myspace Doesn't End At Death

William Aquilina , 25 -- Shot

Published Saturday, December 10, 2005 by Admin | E-mail this post

[12/10/05]

Sydney security guard Karen Brown will stand trial for the shooting murder of a man who bashed and robbed her.

Brown, 42, was on Friday ordered to face a NSW Supreme Court trial for the murder of 25-year-old William Aquilina outside the Moorebank Hotel on July 26 last year.

The Rooty Hill security guard claimed she was provoked by Mr Aquilina, who allegedly bashed her over the back of the head with knuckledusters before robbing her of $45,000.

Brown's lawyer Tony Bellanto, QC, said there had been a "quick and seamless flow of events" and it was a matter of seconds in which she lost her self-control.

But the prosecution argued Brown had "two distinct phases to gather herself", from the time she yelled at him to stop to when he got in the car, where he was shot.

Liverpool Local Court Magistrate Tony Marsden on Friday found while there may be a "strong case" of provocation, a jury would likely reject it as a defence.

Mr Marsden said the knuckledusters, which were produced as an exhibit during the committal hearing, served as "a powerful and physical reminder ... of the vicious nature of the weapon and its undoubted capacity to inflict serious injury".

However, such evidence would not necessarily lead to a finding of provocation or impact upon the prospect of conviction, he said.

"I'm satisfied that there's a reasonable prospect that a reasonable jury properly instructed would reject provocation," Mr Marsden told the court.

"I'm of the opinion having regard to all the evidence that there's a reasonable prospect that a reasonable jury properly instructed would convict the accused of the charge of murder."

Outside court, Brown said she'd expected the result but was "just really disappointed".

When asked whether she believed her legal team could clear her of the charge, she said: "I hope so, I really hope so".

Her husband, George Muratore, who trained his wife as a security guard, added: "When all the facts come out then the findings will show Karen did exactly as she was trained to - arrest a potentially lethal situation".

Mr Bellanto said the committal hearing was only the initial stage of the process.

"We're disappointed of course but ... we look forward to a trial when all the evidence will come out and we believe justice will prevail," Mr Bellanto told reporters.

Brown's father, Brian Brown, also expressed his confidence in the system.

"It's been a tough time for Karen but she's a strong girl," he said.

"We're not at all concerned about how this case is going to go. She'll get the right decision."

Brown was earlier this year granted access to $34,000 of the $107,000 she made selling her story to Channel 7 and The Sunday Telegraph to fund her legal defence.

Her bail was continued and she will stand trial on a date to be fixed.

Archives