Head used as bowling ball

2008-07-16 14:16

Sydney - A teenager's head was used as a puppet and bowling ball after a "thrill kill" carried out during a drinking binge, an Australian court heard on Wednesday.

The headless body of Morgan Jay Shepherd, 17, was found in March 2005 in a shallow grave near Dayboro, west of the Queensland state capital Brisbane, prosecutors told the state Supreme Court.

He had been stabbed more than 133 times and his head had been sawed off, the court heard.

James Roughan, 28, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Shepherd on March 29 2005.

Roughan had pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of accessory to murder after the fact and to interfering with a corpse. But prosecutors rejected that plea and are proceeding with the murder trial, which is ongoing.

Prosecutor David Meredith said Roughan and a friend, Christopher Jones, 24, killed Shepherd after an argument during a drinking binge at Roughan's home north of Brisbane.

Meredith said Jones told friends that Roughan used the head like a puppet and bowling ball - which Roughan denies.

Calling the death a "thrill kill", Meredith said there appeared to be no motive for the "barbaric" killing.

- AFP