Beets murder trial hears of police visa offer

Posted

October 04, 2011 14:54:29

The wife of a man accused of killing Sydney nurse Michelle Beets has told a court police offered to help her get an Australian visa if she gave evidence against her husband.

Former United States marine Walter Marsh is on trial accused of murdering his former boss outside her Chatswood home in April last year by slitting her throat and stabbing her eight times.

He has pleaded not guilty.

Marsh and Ms Beets had worked together at Royal North Shore Hospital.

The 51-year-old’s wife Samantha Marsh has testified against him, saying her husband confessed to killing Ms Beets.

She has told the court Marsh said he committed the murder because he believed Ms Beets was giving him bad work references.

Mrs Marsh, who is Vietnamese, has told the New South Wales Supreme Court that she initially decided to be loyal to her husband but later told police he had confessed to her.

The lawyer representing Marsh, Keith Chapel, told the court Mrs Marsh is testifying in the case so she can stay in Australia.

Mr Chapel submitted a letter Mrs Marsh wrote to her husband the day after Ms Beets died.

In it she calls Marsh a “wonderful husband”.

Mr Chapel told the court he could not believe that someone would write such a note the day after her husband supposedly confessed to killing another woman.

Last week the defence pressured Mrs Marsh over support payments she has received from police since agreeing to cooperate.

Topics:
courts-and-trials,
murder-and-manslaughter,
chatswood-2067



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