Killer 'kept landlord's genitals as souvenir'

An Australian man killed his landlord before hacking off his genitals, telling a friend he wanted to keep them as a souvenir, a court has been told. A Supreme Court jury was told of the bizarre murder scene police discovered in July 2007 at the Inala home of Mater Hospital nurse David Easton. Michael Stephen Owen-Darcy, 31, who was a boarder at Mr Easton's home, is on trial for his murder. The jury was shown graphic photographs of Mr Easton's mutilated body. He was clutching a knife against his neck and a children’s book, Pussy Cat Pussy Cat, was on his chest. The jurors were also shown images of Mr Eaton’s messy, cluttered home where a whipper snipper was left on a couch and a council wheelie bin was parked in the lounge room.

The jury was also shown a handwritten note fixed to the kitchen fridge which read: ‘‘David is the son of Lucifer ha ha ha’’ and another which read: ‘‘Hi son ha ha ha.’’ Opening the case, prosecutor Brendan Campbell said Mr Easton was found with 41 stab wounds to his body. His penis and testicles had also been cut off. The 37-year-old was lying on his back in his bed, a bloodied children's book on his chest and band aids with open eyes drawn on them covering his eyes. There was a stack of electrical equipment, including a film camera, stacked at the end of his bed. When police developed the film they discovered Mr Easton, while deceased, had been put into poses by the person taking the pictures, he said. The jury was told Mr Easton's testicles were found in the kitchen sink and his penis was found wrapped in cling film and placed inside a salt container.

Mr Campbell said Mr Easton was openly homosexual and on the night of his murder, he came home from a shift in the Mater's intensive care unit and consumed prescription drugs he claimed to have stolen from his work. Mr Easton, the accused and a friend of the accused then danced around his home with their penises exposed. During the dancing Mr Owen-Darcy's friend engaged in a sex act with Mr Easton and after that, Mr Easton retired to his bedroom and Mr Owen-Darcy followed. Some time later Mr Owen-Darcy returned to the lounge room and told his friend he had just killed Mr Easton, Mr Campbell said: "If you don't believe me, come and have a look," he allegedly said.

The court was told the man went to the bedroom and saw a bloodied, stabbed Mr Easton lying on his bed. He watched Mr Owen-Darcy jump on him and stab him with a bayonet several times, the court was told. He emerged from the room laughing, then he later saw him holding Mr Easton's penis, saying he wanted to keep it as a souvenir, Mr Campbell said. Mr Owen-Darcy has pleaded not guilty to murder and not guilty to interfering with a corpse. He has pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter. The trial continues.