Aaron Bunch Journalist with Australian Associated Press | Collection of published work | + 61 484 008 119 | abunch@aap.com.au
Qld man interfered with wife’s corpse
A Queensland man on trial for his wife’s murder has pleaded guilty to interfering with her dead body but denied murdering her.
February 4, 2019
A Queensland man accused of murdering his wife and interfering with her corpse more than a decade ago has denied killing her but admitted tampering with her dead body.
Edmund Ian Riggs, 60, is on trial in the Brisbane Supreme Court where he pleaded not guilty to the murder of Patricia Anne Riggs, his wife, on September 30, 2001 at their home in Margate.
Riggs, however, pleaded guilty to misconduct with her corpse by interfering.
He will be sentenced for that offence once his murder trial concludes.
Ms Riggs, 34, disappeared after a weekend of arguments with her husband, crown prosecutor Todd Fuller QC told the jury in his opening address on Monday.
Mr Riggs told police in 2001 his wife had accused him of having an affair on the Friday night before walking out and then vanishing the next evening, the court was told.
An examination of the family home found blood splatters on a wall but no sign of Ms Riggs, who also did not access her bank accounts or show up for work.
The six-day trial continues.