A “perfect storm” of hostility and mistrust led to the tragic killing of Andrew Walsh, 35, by Joshua Searston, 27, and Dewald De Klerk, 30, at a transport business in Coopers Plains, Brisbane, in November 2021. During a recent trial at the Queensland Supreme Court, both men pleaded not guilty to murder.
Walsh, also known as “Ghost”, was discovered buried in concrete, 1.5 metres deep, in March 2022—four months after he was killed. Crown prosecutor Chris Cook detailed that the defendants attacked Walsh under the belief he had perpetrated an act of sexual assault after drugging someone, a claim described with the term “franking”.
In his closing argument, Cook described the violence as extreme, highlighting a witness account from Jessica Noy, who stated that Walsh was subjected to severe physical abuse, including being struck with knuckledusters. After killing Walsh, Searston disparagingly referred to him as a “putrid dog” before the two defendants dismembered his body and disposed of it as if it were garbage.
De Klerk’s lawyer, David Funch, countered the prosecution’s narrative, labelling Noy a “disgracefully dishonest” witness, and argued that her testimony failed to establish his client’s involvement in the murder. He emphasised the lack of evidence linking De Klerk to the killing.
Searston’s defence counsel, Anna Cappellano, acknowledged her client had a confrontation with Walsh and admitted he had lied to police about his knowledge of the warehouse where the incident took place. Yet, she contested the implications of his intentions and actions on that night, disputing Noy’s reliability as a witness.
Chief Justice Helen Bowskill is set to summarise and provide directions to the jury in light of pending weather disruptions from Tropical Cyclone Alfred. The case has unveiled the dangerously violent dynamics among the individuals involved.
Support resources, including the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service, are available to those affected by such issues.