A Bundaberg man has been committed to stand trial for the murder of eight-year-old Trinity Bates.
Allyn John Slater, 21, stood upright in the dock and quietly answered ‘‘No, your honour,’’ when Magistrate Jennifer Batts in the Bundaberg Magistrates Court asked if he wished to enter a plea.
The crown will allege Slater, a family friend of the Bundaberg schoolgirl, went to her home after days of drinking liquor and playing violent video games in February 2010.
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His fingerprints were found on a chair placed under a window of Trinity’s room, on the window pane and the sill.
Craig Simpson, a prisoner who spent a considerable amount of time with the accused man at the Arthur Gorrie Correctional Centre, told the court that Slater confessed to entering her bedroom, wrapping the girl in a blanket and carrying her to a nearby drain where he allegedly ‘‘squeezed’’ her.
Trinity was last seen by her parents at 9.30pm the night before.
Her body showed 87 bruises, evidence of choking and a blow to her head and indications she may have been dragged the 20 metres up an enclosed stormwater pipe leading from a large drain that was often used as a shortcut by locals in the southeast Queensland city.
In evidence on Wednesday, Detective Sergeant Joseph Hildred said Slater had confessed to police hours after Trinity’s body was found by a police dog in the pipe about 100 metres from her Bundaberg home.
There was no evidence of sexual assault.
‘‘He made full admissions in abducting and strangling the deceased,’’ Det Sgt Hildred said.
Det Sgt Hildred said when eight police arrived at Slater’s home where he lived with his parents, at 6.55am on February 22, the morning Trinity’s body was found, Slater appeared to be extremely nervous.
‘‘He appeared to be anxious, he appeared to have difficulty forming words,’’ the head of Bundaberg CIB said.
‘‘He was nervous about something.’’
He told the court Slater recovered his composure as the day went on.Justice of the Peace David Read, who acted as a support person for Slater at the time, said he twice denied killing the girl.
Mr Read said Slater seemed ‘‘unconcerned’’ and ‘‘totally relaxed’’ when he arrived at the house at 7.30am and during a private conversation denied killing Trinity.
‘‘[Slater] said he did not murder her, in a low voice,’’ Mr Read said.
Police found no DNA evidence linking Slater to the crime despite extended forensic analysis of Trinity’s room, his clothes and body, and of the deceased girl.
Forensic pathologist Dr Nathan Mill told the court that Trinity died of drowning in the drain where she was found face down about 6.15am on February 22, 2010, and not of choking or a blow to the head allegedly inflicted by Slater.
A trial date is yet to be fixed.
Outside the court Trinity’s uncle, Aaron Mattner, who sat through the three days of evidence, said the family had faith justice would be served.
He thanked the police involved in the case, SES volunteers who searched for clues and the dozens of members of the public who offered shreds of information.‘
‘Something like this never goes away,’’ Mr Mattner said. ‘‘She was a bright spark, a beautiful child with an aura about her.’’
Source http://www.smh.com.au/queensland/man-committed-to-stand-trial-for-murder-of-trinity-bates-20110330-1cfi4.html
Allyn John Slater, 21, stood upright in the dock and quietly answered ‘‘No, your honour,’’ when Magistrate Jennifer Batts in the Bundaberg Magistrates Court asked if he wished to enter a plea.
The crown will allege Slater, a family friend of the Bundaberg schoolgirl, went to her home after days of drinking liquor and playing violent video games in February 2010.
Advertisement: Story continues below
His fingerprints were found on a chair placed under a window of Trinity’s room, on the window pane and the sill.
Craig Simpson, a prisoner who spent a considerable amount of time with the accused man at the Arthur Gorrie Correctional Centre, told the court that Slater confessed to entering her bedroom, wrapping the girl in a blanket and carrying her to a nearby drain where he allegedly ‘‘squeezed’’ her.
Trinity was last seen by her parents at 9.30pm the night before.
Her body showed 87 bruises, evidence of choking and a blow to her head and indications she may have been dragged the 20 metres up an enclosed stormwater pipe leading from a large drain that was often used as a shortcut by locals in the southeast Queensland city.
In evidence on Wednesday, Detective Sergeant Joseph Hildred said Slater had confessed to police hours after Trinity’s body was found by a police dog in the pipe about 100 metres from her Bundaberg home.
There was no evidence of sexual assault.
‘‘He made full admissions in abducting and strangling the deceased,’’ Det Sgt Hildred said.
Det Sgt Hildred said when eight police arrived at Slater’s home where he lived with his parents, at 6.55am on February 22, the morning Trinity’s body was found, Slater appeared to be extremely nervous.
‘‘He appeared to be anxious, he appeared to have difficulty forming words,’’ the head of Bundaberg CIB said.
‘‘He was nervous about something.’’
He told the court Slater recovered his composure as the day went on.Justice of the Peace David Read, who acted as a support person for Slater at the time, said he twice denied killing the girl.
Mr Read said Slater seemed ‘‘unconcerned’’ and ‘‘totally relaxed’’ when he arrived at the house at 7.30am and during a private conversation denied killing Trinity.
‘‘[Slater] said he did not murder her, in a low voice,’’ Mr Read said.
Police found no DNA evidence linking Slater to the crime despite extended forensic analysis of Trinity’s room, his clothes and body, and of the deceased girl.
Forensic pathologist Dr Nathan Mill told the court that Trinity died of drowning in the drain where she was found face down about 6.15am on February 22, 2010, and not of choking or a blow to the head allegedly inflicted by Slater.
A trial date is yet to be fixed.
Outside the court Trinity’s uncle, Aaron Mattner, who sat through the three days of evidence, said the family had faith justice would be served.
He thanked the police involved in the case, SES volunteers who searched for clues and the dozens of members of the public who offered shreds of information.‘
‘Something like this never goes away,’’ Mr Mattner said. ‘‘She was a bright spark, a beautiful child with an aura about her.’’
Source http://www.smh.com.au/queensland/man-committed-to-stand-trial-for-murder-of-trinity-bates-20110330-1cfi4.html
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