The sight of Bruce Saunders’ legs being ground up in a wood chipper kept Gregory Lee Roser awake at night, according to testimony in court.
Roser, 63, said police he ‘felt responsible’ for Mr. Saunders’ death in November 2017 while working on a farm north of Brisbane.
Crown alleges Roser’s girlfriend Sharon Graham encouraged him and another boyfriend Peter Koenig to kill her ex-partner Mr. Saunders and stage his death as an accident so she could collect his $750,000 life insurance policy.
Roser states in a January 2018 police interview video that he could not shake the image of the ‘accident’ from his mind (pictured, Roser with Sharon Graham)
The Brisbane Supreme Court jury was shown police CCTV of Mr. Saunders’ legs protruding out of the woodchipper on the Goomboorian property near Gympie, where he had been clearing trees with Roser and Koenig.
Roser tells cops in a January 2018 police interview video released on Tuesday that he could not get the image out of his brain after the ‘accident’
“All I could see, and I see them all the time, were these legs protruding out of the machine,” he added. “It keeps coming back to me.”
“I have had many sleepless nights due to it. I continue to picture him in the back of that terrible vehicle.
The Crown alleges Roser’s girlfriend Sharon Graham (shown on the left) ordered him and another lover Peter Koenig to kill her ex-partner Bruce Saunders (pictured on the right) and stage his death as an accident so she could collect his $750,000 life insurance policy.
I cannot fall asleep again after waking up in the middle of the night.
Roser tells Detective Sergeant Christopher Duhig that when he spotted Mr. Saunders in the machine, he attempted to save his friend.
Roser stated that he grabbed Mr. Saunders by the ankles, but the body refused to move.
“I assumed he had just entered, so I grabbed him to pull him out, but he wouldn’t come,” he explained.
It seemed as though he were imprisoned there.
The court heard that after shouting for assistance, Koenig shut down the machine while Roser still held Mr. Saunders’ ankles.
Roser informed police that Mr. Saunders (shown) had been irresponsible around the equipment and had been barred from using it at one point.
Roser responds, in response to Detective Sergeant Duhig’s question as to whether he believed Mr. Saunders to be dead at the time, “No, I don’t believe so, which is why we called an ambulance… it was horrific.”
Roser stated that he had prior experience with chippers and grew physically ill as a result of his sense of responsibility.
He told police, “I was quite offended since this has never happened to me before.”
I had a significant amount of involvement with these computers, so I felt accountable.
Det Sgt Duhig inquired, “In what manner?”
Roser responded, “He (Mr. Saunders) wouldn’t listen.”
Roser told authorities that Mr. Saunders was once prohibited from using the equipment due to his irresponsibility around it.
He claimed that Mr. Saunders was frequently on his cell phone near the machine and was once observed feeding branches into it with his feet.
According to Roser, Mr. Saunders was previously struck in the head by a falling tree, which left him confused and bleeding, but he rejected medical attention.
He stated, “I told him, ‘Mate, you’re not doing it correctly, you’re going to get hurt. You have no idea how hazardous this equipment is.’”
He (Mr. Saunders) said, “I am correct; I know what I’m doing.” He was really stubborn.
Roser and Koenig did not call an ambulance until they approached the home and informed the owner about Mr. Saunders.
Roser has entered a not-guilty plea for murder.
The trial continues before Justice Martin Burns.