Vic: Widow sent to trial for millionaire's murder

AAP General News (Australia)
02-01-2007
Vic: Widow sent to trial for millionaire's murder

By Melissa Jenkins

MELBOURNE, Feb 1 AAP - The widow of a Melbourne millionaire was today ordered to stand
trial for his murder.

Diane Griffey, 43, is accused of bludgeoning her estranged husband Michael Griffey
to death with a blunt metal object in the garage of the family's Pakenham home between
2.25pm and 2.55pm (AEDT) on December 29, 2005.

Griffey told police she discovered her husband's body about 9.30pm on January 2, 2006,
with the couple's youngest daughter, Cassandra.

Today, she reserved her plea at the conclusion of a committal hearing in the Melbourne
Magistrates' Court.

Crown prosecutor Boris Kayser said two crucial pieces of evidence linked Griffey to
her husband's murder: the fact she knew his body was wrapped in a black and white sheet
underneath a grey car cover, and two text messages she sent to herself from her husband's
mobile phone.

Ambulance officer Mark Mahoney was the first emergency services person at the scene.

He told police when he entered the garage he had to pull back the grey car cover covering
the body to see the black and white sheet underneath.

Griffey mentioned the sheet to police but said she learnt of if when reading a newspaper.

"It is not possible that Mrs Griffey knew that there was a black and white sheet around
the body unless she was there when that black and white sheet was placed around the body,"

Mr Kayser told the court.

Griffey received two text messages from her husband's mobile phone at 4.45pm and 4.31pm
on December 29, 2005.

Phone records show the mobile phone messages were sent and received via the same tower.

"It is stretching the long arm of coincidence right out of its socket to find otherwise
that Mrs Griffey had them both," Mr Kayser said.

Christopher Dane QC said the prosecution had failed to establish Mr Griffey died before
3.35pm on December 29, 2005, and Griffey's opportunity to kill her husband expired at
that time.

He said Shannon Meakins, the son of Griffey's boyfriend Rodney Meakins, went into the
garage during a New Year's Eve party at the Griffeys' Pakenham property and did not notice
a body or any odour.

Mr Kayser said a jury could be entitled to discount the evidence of Mr Meakins, who
was aged 16 at the time and had been drinking.

Griffey told her husband's girlfriend she accepted her husband's string of lovers,
Mr Kayser said.

"But when it became clear that her husband was spending all this money on cars, that
provided the motive ... because her family's future was in danger," he said.

He said the Griffeys' plaster transport business was "beyond bankrupt".

Magistrate Paul Smith said he had difficulties with the case but did not want to usurp
the role of a jury.

He ordered Griffey to appear in the Victorian Supreme Court on April 24 for a directions
hearing, and extended her bail.

AAP mj/dk/srp/bwl

KEYWORD: GRIFFEY NIGHTLEAD (PIX AVAILABLE)

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