Aaron Bunch Journalist with Australian Associated Press | Collection of published work | + 61 484 008 119 | abunch@aap.com.au
Snapshot of Queensland hammer murder case
A Brisbane financial planner who smashed his top client’s head in with a hammer to cover up fraud has been sentenced to life behind bars for murder.
October 24, 2018
QUEENSLAND HAMMER KILLER TRIAL EXPLAINED
WHO
* Financial planner Trung The Ma, 39, head of Brisbane Money Management
* His best client, spiritual guru Huegio Bonham who was 63 when bludgeoned to death with a hammer at his Gold Coast home in February 2014
THE PROSECUTION CASE
* Prosecutor Michael Lehane said the Crown had evidence of Ma using $706,000 of Mr Bonham’s money on his own family investments and defrauding four other clients of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
* He told the jury Ma’s motive for killing Mr Bonham was hiding this theft after his client found he was unable to access money being managed by Ma’s firm, Brisbane Money Management.
THE DEFENCE
* Defence lawyer Tim Ryan argued Ma’s responsibility for killing Mr Bonham was diminished because his state of mind was altered over fears of the collapse of his business and damage to his reputation and family.
* Defence psychiatrist Dr Andrew Aboud told the jury Ma suffered a narcissistic personality disorder.
* This, coupled with his self-reported depression and an acute stress reaction, created a set of symptoms that amounted to an abnormality of the mind when he killed Mr Bonham, he said.
VERDICT AND SENTENCE
* The Supreme Court jury found Ma guilty of murder on October 19.
* Justice Sue Brown sentenced Ma to life in prison on Wednesday for murder, which has a minimum parole period of 20 years, and a concurrent two years for interfering with a corpse.