Car 'bogged at crime scene'

Melinda Siegmeier | 11th September 2009

AFTER dumping Nicole Leiske's body in a creek bed near Rockhampton, accused murderer Steven Roy Turner's car got bogged while trying to drive away, a court heard on Thursday.

Stuck at bushland at the Caves, Turner told police he broke into a nearby house and used its telephone to call a friend for help.

After his friend towed him out they drove off leaving Ms Leiske's body, which wasn't found for months.

Yesterday the jury, during day two of the Supreme Court murder trial, were shown video footage of Turner showing police where he dumped Ms Leiske's body, the house he made the call from, and where he stashed some evidence.

Turner, 34, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Ms Leiske, a mother-of-three, on February 5, 2005.

However, he has pleaded guilty to interfering with a corpse.

In the tapes Turner told police how he had put Ms Leiske's body in a black suit bag.

He also said he had “great difficulties” trying to fit her inside it. Turner then explained how he took her and the suit bag out of his boot, when he arrived at the Caves, and “sort of just rolled her out of it”.

The court heard that Turner attempted to drive off but got stuck on an embankment during a three-point turn. On the video, police then drove Turner, who was handcuffed by one hand to a detective, to another location at the Caves where he said he disposed of the suit bag.

“I put the suit bag over the fence. I didn't think anyone would figure anything out about the black bag. I have no idea where it is now,” he said on the tape.

Turner allegedly disposed of Ms Leiske's clothes and some plastic ties in a bin.

Ms Leiske, 32, was found by police on May 29, 2005.

Her body was in such a decomposed state that forensic evidence could not establish a cause of death and never will.

During the first day of the trial, in crown prosecutor Richard Pointing's opening statement, he told the jury that after Turner realised Ms Leiske was dead he super-glued her eyes shut and set her bellybutton on fire after pouring lighter fluid into it.

Mr Pointing said Turner told police he “didn't like seeing her dead eyes staring” at him. The pair was also allegedly involved in consensual bondage sex, before Ms Leiske died.

He said Turner, who had allegedly tied Ms Leiske up, told police he then left her tied up, only to return 30 minutes later and find her motionless.

The trial will continue today.

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Accused 'glued victim's eyes shut'