A man who claimed to be affected by delusions when he shot a husband and wife as they sat in their car has been sentenced to life in prison.
Benjamin James Nunns had been found guilty of the murder of Charles Compton, 38, following a two-week trial at the Queensland Supreme Court in Toowoomba.
The 34-year-old appeared at the Supreme Court in Brisbane on Wednesday to be sentenced for what Judge Martin Burns called a “senseless act”.
“You have had a severe and no doubt lasting impact on Ms Compton, as she was sitting in the passenger seat next to him when you fired the fatal shot,” Judge Burns said.
Compton and his wife Karen were leaving Nunns’ home in Warwick, southwest of Brisbane, in the early hours of April 5, 2020 when Nunns attacked Compton with a metal pole.
Benjamin James Nunns was found guilty of the murder of Charles Compton (pictured) following a two-week trial at the Queensland Supreme Court in Toowoomba.
Compton and his wife Karen were leaving Nunns’ home in Warwick, southwest of Brisbane, in the early hours of April 5, 2020 when Nunns attacked Compton with a metal pole.
Nunns returned to his home to retrieve a rifle and fired at least one shot at the Comptons’ vehicle before approaching and firing a bullet through the windshield.
The second bullet hit Mr. Compton in the neck, severing an artery and causing him to bleed to death.
Crown prosecutor Matthew LeGrand said Mrs Compton had suffered ongoing grief from the loss of her husband and it had also affected the lives of her family.
Judge Burns said the jury had heard a significant amount of evidence about Nunns’ mental state at the time of the murder, after inviting the couple to his home to use methamphetamine.
‘At some point, according to the wife’s account, (the couple) went to get fast food. “Your evidence about him is that he interpreted what was happening as an attempt to get him away from his house and kill him,” Judge Burns said.
He said the jury had considered evidence that Nunns may have been affected by schizophrenia or related disorders, possibly induced by drug use, but had found that Nunns did not reasonably believe he was acting in self-defence.
The jury also found that Nunns did not have diminished responsibility at the time and intended to kill or cause serious bodily harm to Mr. Compton.
Crown prosecutor Matthew LeGrand said Mrs Compton (pictured with Mr Compton) had suffered ongoing grief from the loss of her husband and it had also affected the lives of her family.
‘There is only one sentence I can impose, as you well know. On the first charge of murder he will be found guilty and jailed for life,” Judge Burns said.
He imposed a non-parole period of 20 years with 1,529 days of pretrial detention declared as time served.
Nunns did not visibly react to the sentence and spoke briefly with his defense attorney before being returned to custody.