| Man to stand trial over neighbour feud that led to triple killing |
A MAN accused of murdering his three neighbours struck after being attacked by one his victims, a court has heard.
In the hours after the brutal killings, Ian Francis Jamieson, 64, told police his neighbour Gregory Holmes had attacked him.
“I was walking along and he’s into me … there were fisticuffs, he went for the knife, next thing I know we’re on the ground,” he said.
Mr Holmes was stabbed to death, suffering more than 20 wounds to his chest and hands, according to a post-mortem examination.
Police allege that after he killed Mr Holmes, Mr Jamieson travelled to his nearby property and shot his mother and stepfather, Peter and Mary Lockhart.
The Bendigo Magistrates Court heard today there were ongoing tensions between the neighbours.
Police had been called to resolve disputes on a string of occasions, including just hours before the killings.
The court heard Mr Homes called police on the night he was killed, October 22 last year, because Mr Jamieson was “annoying the hell out of him”.
The neighbours had allegedly fought over an open gate and the use of a dirt track between their properties in Wedderburn, near Bendigo.
It was alleged that the running disputes between the neighbours had seen Mr Holmes point a gun at Mr Jamieson during an argument just months before the killings.
“I walked away — and I could drop dead, this was no lie — the bloke pointed his firearm at me,” Mr Jamieson told police later.
On the night Mr Jamieson is said to have killed his neighbours, police found the body of Mr Holmes in a paddock.
While there they allegedly heard gunshots from an adjoining property, sparking a lengthy negotiation with Mr Jamieson.
He ultimately surrendered.
A toxicology report conduct after his death found Mr Holmes had a blood-alcohol reading of between .05 and .06 per cent.
In April, Mr Jamieson offered to plead guilty to manslaughter over the deaths.
But the offer was rejected by the Director of Public Prosecutions after a psychological assessment of Mr Jamieson was completed.
During a brief committal hearing today his lawyer, Zarah Garde Wilson, cross-examined evidence from forensic pathologist Dr Heinrich Bouwer and informant Sen-Det Jason Wallace.
Mr Jamieson, who is charged with three counts of murder, formally pleaded not guilty to murdering Mr Holmes.
He did not enter a plea in relation to Mr and Mrs Lockhart.
He was remanded in custody and will appear in the Supreme Court on July 20.
Paul Holmes, son of Mrs Lockhart, told the Herald Sun in April that his family had been torn apart by the shocking triple killing.
“We would like to thank the many people who have supported us through these tragic events and we look forward to the completion of these proceedings so we can move on with our lives,” he said..
“These tragic events have caused a great deal of emotional trauma within our community and close and extended family.”
shannon.deery@news.com.au
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