KNIVES were found in a bedroom under a mattress and in a shed cupboard at the home of a Rocherlea man accused of a double stabbing murder, a court has heard. The Supreme Court trial of Marco Daniel Rusterholz, 51, continued in Launceston yesterday. On Monday he maintained his not guilty pleas to the murders of Angela Maree Hallam, 31, and Joshua Eric Newman, 21, both originally from Hobart. The Crown has accused Mr Rusterholz of having stabbed and cut the new couple to death with a sharp instrument, likely a knife, in a Pioneer Parade unit in Ravenswood, on August 15, 2012, over a drug debt and a desire to please a new lover. However, the defence has denied Mr Rusterholz was involved and has argued that there were others who wanted to cause Ms Hallam harm through her involvement with the drug trade. Yesterday, Crown prosecutor John Ransom called Tasmania Police Senior Constable Donna Stafford, of Northern Forensic Services, to give evidence. She had taken photographs at various locations, including the wounded and burnt deceased as firefighters found them when called to the blaze in the unit. Mr Ransom asked Senior Constable Stafford about her images of knives in a bedroom of a Daphne Court, Rocherlea, house, where Mr Rusterholz had been living. The policewoman explained that knives on a bed had been placed there for photographic purposes, while a knife with a brown leather case and another knife which appeared to be under a mattress, were photographed by her where they were found. Further, the prosecutor asked Senior Constable Stafford about her photographs in a shed at the property, including knives inside a cupboard and a red plastic fuel can which the Crown submitted as an exhibit. She said that she was told to photograph the cupboard, while ‘‘a couple of reddy-brown stains’’ underneath the fuel can handle were of interest. Mr Ransom suggested that the stains might have been blood and Senior Constable Stafford replied that the marks caught her or her colleague’s eye. On Monday, Mr Ransom argued that human blood found on the fuel can was a high-grade DNA match to Mr Newman. Yesterday afternoon, jurors were taken on a view of the Pioneer Parade unit and Daphne Court property as part of the Crown’s case. The trial, before Justice Robert Pearce, is expected to run for six to eight weeks and up to 70 Crown witnesses are planned.
KNIVES were found in a bedroom under a mattress and in a shed cupboard at the home of a Rocherlea man accused of a double stabbing murder, a court has heard.
The Supreme Court trial of Marco Daniel Rusterholz, 51, continued in Launceston yesterday.
On Monday he maintained his not guilty pleas to the murders of Angela Maree Hallam, 31, and Joshua Eric Newman, 21, both originally from Hobart.
The Crown has accused Mr Rusterholz of having stabbed and cut the new couple to death with a sharp instrument, likely a knife, in a Pioneer Parade unit in Ravenswood, on August 15, 2012, over a drug debt and a desire to please a new lover.
However, the defence has denied Mr Rusterholz was involved and has argued that there were others who wanted to cause Ms Hallam harm through her involvement with the drug trade.
Yesterday, Crown prosecutor John Ransom called Tasmania Police Senior Constable Donna Stafford, of Northern Forensic Services, to give evidence.
She had taken photographs at various locations, including the wounded and burnt deceased as firefighters found them when called to the blaze in the unit.
Mr Ransom asked Senior Constable Stafford about her images of knives in a bedroom of a Daphne Court, Rocherlea, house, where Mr Rusterholz had been living.
The policewoman explained that knives on a bed had been placed there for photographic purposes, while a knife with a brown leather case and another knife which appeared to be under a mattress, were photographed by her where they were found.
Further, the prosecutor asked Senior Constable Stafford about her photographs in a shed at the property, including knives inside a cupboard and a red plastic fuel can which the Crown submitted as an exhibit.
She said that she was told to photograph the cupboard, while ‘‘a couple of reddy-brown stains’’ underneath the fuel can handle were of interest.
Mr Ransom suggested that the stains might have been blood and Senior Constable Stafford replied that the marks caught her or her colleague’s eye.
On Monday, Mr Ransom argued that human blood found on the fuel can was a high-grade DNA match to Mr Newman.
Yesterday afternoon, jurors were taken on a view of the Pioneer Parade unit and Daphne Court property as part of the Crown’s case.
The trial, before Justice Robert Pearce, is expected to run for six to eight weeks and up to 70 Crown witnesses are planned.
