Man accused of killing his younger ex and dumping her body where it’s never been found after she repeatedly contacted his new partner and told her she was pregnant
- James Scott Church, 51, has pleaded not guilty in the NSW Supreme Court
- He’s accused of murdering Leisl Smith, 23, who vanished on August 19, 2012
- Her body has never been found, car was found abandoned after she vanished
- Prosecutor alleges Smith’s pregnancy claims ‘fed into his motive to kill her’
A NSW Central Coast man is accused of murdering his former girlfriend after she told people she was pregnant to him and repeatedly contacted his new partner.
James Scott Church, 51, has pleaded not guilty in the NSW Supreme Court to murdering Leisl Smith, 23, who vanished on August 19, 2012.
Her body has never been found, but her car was found abandoned at Tuggerah railway station more than a month after she disappeared.
James Scott Church, 51, has pleaded not guilty in the NSW Supreme Court to murdering Leisl Smith (pictured), 23, who vanished on August 19, 2012
Continuing the crown opening address at the judge-alone trial on Tuesday, prosecutor Kate Ratcliffe alleged Church picked up Ms Smith from the station in his white ute after arranging to meet her on August 19.
Two days earlier ‘he drove to remote locations’ to locate a site to dispose of the body of the woman he was planning to murder, Ms Ratcliffe alleged.
Her claims to a number of people, including Church’s partner Belinda Lees, that she was pregnant to him ‘fed into his motive to kill her’ as well as his desire to save his new relationship, she said.
Leisl Smith’s body has never been found, but her car was found abandoned at Tuggerah railway station more than a month after she disappeared
Ms Lees believed Ms Smith was fantasising about being pregnant while other people were sceptical of the claim, Ms Ratcliffe said.
Ms Lees would give evidence of receiving messages from Ms Smith and of meeting her three times when she made allegations about Church.
They included that he had kicked her dog, was an alcoholic and had been violent to an ex-partner.
Ms Smith also allegedly said she was reporting Church to the Australian Quarter Horse Association over failing to register a filly.
The prosecutor said Ms Lees would testify that after being reassured by Church, she came to believe Ms Smith was ‘a crackpot’ and dismissed her claims.
But she would say everything that happened with Ms Smith had ‘upset her and put stress on the relationship’.
She would say she constantly feared something would be done to her animals in retaliation.
The prosecutor’s opening will be followed by an address by Church’s barrister on Wednesday before Justice Elizabeth Fullerton begins to hear the evidence.
Continuing the crown opening address at the judge-alone trial on Tuesday, prosecutor Kate Ratcliffe alleged Church (pictured, left) picked up Ms Smith from the station in his white ute after arranging to meet her on August 19
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