Trial into Laverton murder

Elle FarcicKalgoorlie Miner

The estranged husband of a pregnant woman who was found dead outside her Laverton home may have accidentally suffocated her when he tried to restrain her during a fight, a jury has been told.

Mervyn Annear is on trial in the Supreme Court accused of murdering Charma Annear in a Burt Street unit in the early hours of the morning on November 20, 2016.

The 30-year-old Filipino woman was 24 weeks pregnant and was living with her new partner, Bryan “Charlie” Haggarty, when she died.

Defence lawyer Curt Hofmann said his client went to Ms Annear’s house in the hope of reconciling with her and lay across her chest in the heat of a fight in a bid to restrain her.

He said the 100kg man may have suffocated his 50kg estranged wife in what was a very brief incident.

“It’s a tragic case,” Mr Hofmann said.

“He categorically denies that he went to that place with murderous intent.

“The last meeting, the tragic meeting on that morning, was a last ditch attempt at reconciliation.”

Ms Annear’s friend found her unconscious in her carport and noticed she had blood on her body and in her hair.

Police arrested Mr Annear after they spotted him driving a white utility and they found black latex gloves in the pocket of his shirt.

He allegedly had dried blood stains on his chest and stomach.

A post mortem found Ms Annear had a blunt force head injury, a neck injury and injuries to her arms and legs, but her cause of death could not be established.

She had biological matter under her fingernails that tested positive for Mr Annear’s blood.

Mr Annear allegedly had a scratch on his cheek and grazing on his wrists, caused by handcuffs, after his arrest.

The couple broke up after Mr Annear lost his job with the Shire of Laverton and moved to Gnowangerup in the Great Southern.

Prosecutor Bernard Standish said Mr Annear was caught lurking around his estranged wife’s house on the morning of her alleged murder.

He said 13 days after the murder Ms Annear’s car, which was registered in Mr Haggarty’s name, was found burnt out near an abandoned mine site.

Mr Annear pleaded guilty to stealing the car and torching it at the start of his trial.

Mr Hofmann told the jury the theft and destruction of the car were “a lame attempt to cover up a tragedy”.

The trial continues.

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