The man accused of murdering Gatton schoolgirl Jayde Kendall engaged in consensual choking with three former girlfriends, a court has heard.
Brenden Bennetts has pleaded guilty to manslaughter but is on trial in the Brisbane Supreme Court after the prosecution insisted he stand trial for murder.
Ms Kendall was last seen getting into Bennetts’ distinctive red car after school on August 14, 2015.
Jayde Kendall (left) was last seen getting into Brenden Bennetts’ (left) distinctive red car after school on August 14, 2015
The 16-year-old’s body was found in a field 13 days later and was too decomposed to determine a cause of death.
Three of Bennetts’ former girlfriends testified on Thursday to having rough sex during their relationship, including consensual choking.
Shantel Mason, who was dating Bennetts when he killed Jayde, said there was one occasion when the choking went ‘a little too far’.
‘He put his hands around my throat and squeezed tighter than normal,’ Ms Mason said.
‘I had trouble breathing. I kicked him off. He untied me and he was very apologetic.’
The court heard the incident left a faint bruise on Ms Mason’s neck and the pair did not engage in consensual choking after that.
Brenden Bennetts (pictured) has pleaded guilty to manslaughter but is on trial in the Brisbane Supreme Court after the prosecution insisted he stand trial for murder
Another former girlfriend of Bennetts testified they mostly had ‘rough sex’ including neck biting, hair pulling and strangulation.
‘It was more that I received it,’ she said.
A third former girlfriend also testified she was making out with Bennetts against a wall when he put his hand around her neck, with consent.
She said as things got more heated the pressure increased until it hurt so she pushed Bennetts away. He apologised and never did it again.
Ms Kendall’s (pictured) body was found in a field 13 days later and in a decomposed state
The court has heard Bennetts lied to police about his contact with Jayde then changed his story when confronted with evidence.
Bennetts claimed to detectives Jayde asked him for a lift after school on August 14 and to withdraw money from her bank account so she could run away.
‘I didn’t know she would runaway for a long period of time, I thought she would be back by now to be honest,’ Bennetts told police.
‘She stopped crying, looking dead in the eye and made me promise to give her as much time as possible before I would talk to you guys (police).’
Bruce Morrissey (centre), Denis Morrissey (2nd right) father and grandfather respectively of Ms Kendall, and other family members, leave the Supreme Court in Brisbane on Monday
Ms Mason said Bennetts appeared ‘tired but normal’ when he arrived at her house on the evening Jayde disappeared.
She said she thought the 18-year-old was tired from working as an apprentice electrician, when in fact Bennetts was unemployed and had been lying to her and his family about having a job for the past month.
Mother Wanda Bennetts cried in court on Thursday as she recalled her son being brought home by police after they questioned him on August 18.
‘I was annoyed and pissed off and said ‘how come you’ve never said anything?’ He said that he was scared,’ Ms Bennetts said.
Bennetts, now aged 21, has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter.
The trial is due to continue on Friday.
Ms Kendall seen here in an undated photo before her death on August 14, 2015
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