Nyngan murder accused Clinton Wrigley says alleged confessions were false
Clinton Beau Wrigley, 40, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Joel Carter at Nyngan in January 2023. (Facebook)
In short:
Clinton Wrigley has pleaded not guilty to murdering 58-year-old Joel Carter at his rural property near Nyngan.
The court heard he confessed to the crime on three separate occasions, but the accused says he was "just being a d***head".
What's next?
The jury has retired to consider its verdict.
A farm worker accused of murdering a man in western NSW more than two years ago has told a jury he was "just being a d***head" when he confessed to the crime.
Clinton Wrigley, 40, has pleaded not guilty to murdering 58-year-old Joel Carter at Mr Carter's rural property Rosehill, near Nyngan, in January 2023.
The jury heard a post-mortem revealed Mr Carter had died from significant head trauma, most likely inflicted two days before his body was found lying on a metal-framed bed in an advanced state of decomposition.
Joel Carter, 58, was found dead at his Nyngan property in January 2023. (Facebook)
During her closing address on Tuesday, crown prosecutor Michelle Swift told the jury Mr Wrigley had confessed to people on three separate occasions.
In a taped recording played to the court, Mr Wrigley told a workmate he "didn't lose no sleep" over Mr Carter's death, and the victim "deserved it".
"They can search everything I've got, I've burnt it all, even burnt my f**king boots," Mr Wrigley is recorded saying.
But Mr Wrigley, who gave evidence on Monday, told the jury the alleged confessions were him just "being a d***head".
The Rosehill property where Mr Carter's body was found is near Nyngan. (ABC Western Plains: Zaarkacha Marlan)
The prosecution told the jury the weapon used to kill Mr Carter was not known, but Mr Wrigley told someone days later he had used a rubber mallet, which he then destroyed when burning Mr Carter's ute.
Ms Swift said the accused revealed a motive for the alleged murder during a recorded conversation, in which he said the "main thing that done" Mr Carter was his mistreatment of his sister-in-law.
Plan to use ice
Defence barrister Nicholas Broadbent questioned the reliability of some witnesses, describing one as "most unimpressive".
"You might say something stridently, something shocking, but that doesn't necessarily make it true,"he said.
He also told the court there was another person in the community, who cannot be named for legal reasons, with "numerous reasons to be frustrated with Joel Carter".
Undercover police arrested Clinton Wrigley in March 2023. (Supplied: NSW Police)
When asked about his movements at the time of Mr Carter's death, Mr Wrigley told the jury he had been asleep in his vehicle.
He said he had intended to drive home to Warren, but parked his car near the river in Nyngan to avoid highway patrol officers detecting his unregistered ute.
The jury heard he had intended to walk to the hospital to get "a black box" of needles to consume the drug ice, when he ran into a woman he knew near the railway station and had intercourse.
The woman gave evidence during the trial and denied she saw or slept with Mr Wrigley on the night in question.
The jury has retired to consider its verdict.