Jury back to churchyard tape

A JURY was yesterday urged to find two Maryborough men guilty of murdering 45-year-old Wayne Ruks in the St Mary's Catholic Church grounds in July last year.

Richard John Meerdink, 40, and Jason Andrew Pearce, 38, have pleaded not guilty in the Maryborough Supreme Court to the crime.

Yesterday Crown Prosecutor Greg Cummings closed the prosecution's case. In his closing statements he pointed to numerous pieces of evidence suggesting the men may have intended to cause grievous bodily harm - or worse.

The most “compelling” evidence - the security camera footage of a 15-minute altercation involving three men outside the church - was replayed to the court and thoroughly analysed.

The jury was also taken for a walk-through of St Mary's churchyard on Bazaar Street.

The jury was initially expected to retire yesterday but due to a number of technical hold-ups over the past week jurors were yesterday expected to retire today or tomorrow.

Both Meerdink's and Pearce's defence counsels were expected to present their closing addresses to the jury this morning.

Read more about the trial...