A woman allegedly murdered by her daughter in Launceston in 2019 jokingly discussed suicide with one of her sisters, a Supreme Court Jury in Launceston heard.
But Veronica Corstorphine's other sisters gave evidence that they had never had a similar discussion.
Natalie Maher, 48, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Ms Corstorphine at her home in Keane St west South Launceston on October 3, 2019.
The defence in the trial includes that Ms Corstorphine may have died by suicide, from a medical condition or at the hands of an intruder into her home.
The jury heard that Ms Corstorphine was one of a family of ten-seven sisters and three brothers.
A sister Lucinda Stewart was asked by crown prosecutor John Ransom if Veronica had ever expressed a wish to commit suicide.
She said she had joked and laughed about it.
"She wasn't serious she just said 'maybe I'll just pop myself off' and then we joked about it," she said.
Under cross examination by defence counsel Evan Hughes about the conversation Ms Stewart said: "I think I said 'don't be silly you would never do that'."
Ms Stewart said Veronica could be very dramatic at times.
"That was a bit of theatre, she loved theatre," she said.
Another sister Pauline Robinson said a firm no when asked by Mr Ransom about any suicide discussion.
"I'm sure she would never do that," she said.
"I don't know why that question was asked she would never do that, she was a student of life."
She rejected suggestions from Mr Hughes that she had discussed with Ms Corstorphine dark thoughts mental health or a drinking problem.
Ms Robinson said she had received a phone call in November 2019 from someone named David who she didn't know.
"Why is Dale Mason [a friend of Ms Corstorphine] trying to stop Natalie getting the will from her mother?," Ms Robinson said.
She asked the caller who gave her her phone number and information.
"He said 'Natalie'," she told Mr Ransom.
The jury also heard discussion of a broach which Ms Corstorphine purchased and which was found in Ms Maher's possession in Western Australia.
"Did Veronica ever express any intentions about the brooch?," Mr Ransom asked.
"She told me she would put it in her will for her daughter Natalie," Ms Robinson said.
Ms Robinson said she had spoken to Ms Maher on October 29 when she heard that her sister was dead.
"I was surprised that she was in WA and asked her and she said she had been there for six weeks," she said.
She denied a suggestion from Mt Hughes that Ms Maher had said she was in WA from the sixth [of October].
A third sister Marguerite Peris said she had never discussed suicide with her sister.
"We had been talking about our parents and how they had passed and Veronica said 'that is not going to happen to me, I'm going to deal with it and not rely on anyone'," she said.
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Nick Clark
I am the Supreme and Magistrates Court reporter for the Examiner for the past 18 months. My journalism career has clicked over 30 years and encompasses four different spells at Tasmanian newspapers.
I am the Supreme and Magistrates Court reporter for the Examiner for the past 18 months. My journalism career has clicked over 30 years and encompasses four different spells at Tasmanian newspapers.
