A Brisbane man accused of murdering two people, who died after being forced into a toolbox and dumped in a creek, said he was too busy using drugs to kill them.

February 11, 2020

A Brisbane man accused of murdering two drug dealers who were shoved in a toolbox and dumped in a creek told police he was too busy using drugs and saving for a house to have killed them.

Cory Breton and Iuliana Triscaru’s decomposing bodies were found in a large metal box in February 2016 at Scrubby Creek, south of Brisbane.

Tuhirangi-Thomas Tahiata, 28, denies murdering the pair after they were lured to a townhouse in Kingston 18 days earlier, his Brisbane Supreme Court trial has heard.

“I’ve no f***in’ reason to kill someone,” Tahiata told Detective Nicole Tunks in a recorded police interview played in the trial on Tuesday.

“All I wanna do is just f***in’, save up for a house, f***in’ pay it off, that’s it. Live happy. Get stoned.

“I don’t wanna f***in’ waste time killing someone.”

During the interview Tahiata repeatedly referred to his drug use, often at a townhouse where Mr Breton and Ms Triscaru were bashed and held captive before being forced into the toolbox.

“After work I’ve gone and had a sneaky cone with them you know, ‘cause they’re on the way from work,” he said when asked about visiting the unit.

Tahiata repeatedly denied being involved in the killings, saying he’d been at a church service in Sunnybank on January 24, the day the pair disappeared.

When shown CCTV images from the day of his green Toyota Hilux ute with a toolbox on the back, Tahiata said he’d lent it to a man named Punchy, who is also known as Trent Thrupp.

Prosecutor David Meredith has previously told the trial Tahiata’s ute was used to transport the toolbox with Cory Breton and Iuliana Triscaru still alive inside to the waterway beside the Logan Motorway.

He also told the jury that after Tahiata helped load the toolbox on his ute, he and Thrupp drove to the nearby creek.

Tahiata allegedly helped carry the box to the shore as Mr Breton and Ms Triscaru screamed for help from inside.

Thrupp then pushed the toolbox into the water but it didn’t immediately sink, Mr Meredith said.

He said Tahiata then handed Thrupp a hammer so he could punch holes into the side of the box.

The trial continues.