
Locals left horrified after discovering body at iconic Gold Coast beach, day after a separate body was found at nearby swimming spot
Police attended the scene after locals found a deceased person on Sunday morning at Gold Coast's Palm Beach.
Queensland Police told the Gold Coast Bulletin they had been alerted by members of the public that a body had been located at the beach.
Authorities have not yet revealed the age and gender of the deceased person, but said the discovery was made at about 5.40am.
Police believe the death of the person did not involve suspicious circumstances.
The Gold Coast Bulletin stated that numerous witnesses reported the grim find to social media, and that the body was located near the Palm Beach Surf Lifesaving Club.
'Don't let your kids down to Palm Beach this morning – another body,' one woman wrote on Facebook.
Local man, Wayne, was one of the first witnesses to spot the body and told the Gold Coast Bulletin that he arrived at the beach at around 5.20am for a routine surfing event.
He said the body was completely clothed and partially submerged in the ocean.
'Two ladies were standing by the body which was lapping in the water,' he told the Gold Coast Bulletin.
He added that police arrived at the scene shortly after at about 5.40am.
Wayne said that 'paramedics arrived and tried to resuscitate the body' and that a total of eight police officers were in attendance.
The person could not be saved.
Detectives attached to the Criminal Investigation Branch arrived at the beach at about 8.30am.
The investigators were seen inspecting the body, which had since been moved from the shore to the back of the beach.
The body was draped in a black tarp and placed onto a trolley.
A van from a local funeral home was also seen parked a short distance away.
The body has since been transported from the scene.
Another body was discovered on Saturday at Echo Beach at Burleigh Heads, with police having since established a crime scene at the widely used swimming spot.
A Queensland Police Service spokeswoman said the death at Echo Beach on Saturday was being treated as non-suspicious and that investigations were ongoing.

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Perth Now
2 days ago
- Perth Now
Judge ruled to split Patterson trial to avoid prejudice
Triple murderer Erin Patterson would have been unfairly prejudiced if a jury heard allegations she tried to kill her ex-husband in the years before a deadly mushroom lunch. Victorian Supreme Court Justice Christopher Beale made the decision on March 14, ruling Patterson would have to face a separate trial for the three attempted murder offences. Prosecutors ultimately dropped the charges in relation to Simon Patterson just before the triple-murder trial started in Morwell. Patterson was on July 7 found guilty of killing Simon's parents, Don and Gail, 70, and his aunt Heather Wilkinson, 66, along with the attempted murder of her husband Ian Wilkinson. Justice Beale's redacted pre-trial rulings were released to media on Monday evening after Patterson lost her bid to keep the evidence a secret to preserve her appeal rights. The details around the alleged attempted murders of Simon Patterson were revealed for the first time on Friday. Prosecutors had alleged Patterson tried to poison Simon several times between 2021 and 2022. The first was a penne pasta Patterson cooked him before leaving for a camping trip in November 2021, which led to a five-day hospital stay for Simon. He also ended up in a coma after a camping trip in late May 2022 where he allegedly ate a chicken korma curry Patterson had made him. Simon had to undergo surgery to remove a large portion of his bowel after eating the curry, he told the Supreme Court during pre-trial hearings. It was also alleged he fell ill in September 2022 after eating a wrap Patterson prepared for him while camping together at Wilsons Promontory. The prosecution claimed the allegations could be used as coincidence evidence to show the similarities between what allegedly happened to Simon and the mushroom lunch guests. But Justice Beale ruled the charges should be heard in a separate trial to prevent jurors from "misusing or overvaluing" the evidence in relation to Simon. He determined if a jury found Patterson had deliberately poisoned her four lunch guests in July 2023, there was a risk they would wrongly assess the charges relating to Simon. "I am not persuaded that its probative value substantially outweighs the significant danger or risk of unfair prejudice to the accused," Justice Beale said in his written reasons. The judge also made pre-trial rulings in relation to documents about poisoning found on devices police seized from Patterson's home. Justice Beale ruled the documents failed the relevance test because the evidence could only go as high as Patterson possibly accessed the file. The judge also stopped the jury from seeing a Facebook post Patterson made to a poisons page, where she claimed her cat had chewed on a mushroom and was vomiting. Justice Beale noted the post was made 18 months before the first allegation in relation to Simon. "In my view, even if the evidence of this post shows an interest in poisons, it is temporally remote," the judge said in his reasons. Patterson will face a two-day pre-sentence hearing later in August, during which she will listen to statements from the Pattersons and Wilkinsons. She will have 28 days to appeal after she is sentenced.


The Advertiser
2 days ago
- The Advertiser
Judge ruled to split Patterson trial to avoid prejudice
Triple murderer Erin Patterson would have been unfairly prejudiced if a jury heard allegations she tried to kill her ex-husband in the years before a deadly mushroom lunch. Victorian Supreme Court Justice Christopher Beale made the decision on March 14, ruling Patterson would have to face a separate trial for the three attempted murder offences. Prosecutors ultimately dropped the charges in relation to Simon Patterson just before the triple-murder trial started in Morwell. Patterson was on July 7 found guilty of killing Simon's parents, Don and Gail, 70, and his aunt Heather Wilkinson, 66, along with the attempted murder of her husband Ian Wilkinson. Justice Beale's redacted pre-trial rulings were released to media on Monday evening after Patterson lost her bid to keep the evidence a secret to preserve her appeal rights. The details around the alleged attempted murders of Simon Patterson were revealed for the first time on Friday. Prosecutors had alleged Patterson tried to poison Simon several times between 2021 and 2022. The first was a penne pasta Patterson cooked him before leaving for a camping trip in November 2021, which led to a five-day hospital stay for Simon. He also ended up in a coma after a camping trip in late May 2022 where he allegedly ate a chicken korma curry Patterson had made him. Simon had to undergo surgery to remove a large portion of his bowel after eating the curry, he told the Supreme Court during pre-trial hearings. It was also alleged he fell ill in September 2022 after eating a wrap Patterson prepared for him while camping together at Wilsons Promontory. The prosecution claimed the allegations could be used as coincidence evidence to show the similarities between what allegedly happened to Simon and the mushroom lunch guests. But Justice Beale ruled the charges should be heard in a separate trial to prevent jurors from "misusing or overvaluing" the evidence in relation to Simon. He determined if a jury found Patterson had deliberately poisoned her four lunch guests in July 2023, there was a risk they would wrongly assess the charges relating to Simon. "I am not persuaded that its probative value substantially outweighs the significant danger or risk of unfair prejudice to the accused," Justice Beale said in his written reasons. The judge also made pre-trial rulings in relation to documents about poisoning found on devices police seized from Patterson's home. Justice Beale ruled the documents failed the relevance test because the evidence could only go as high as Patterson possibly accessed the file. The judge also stopped the jury from seeing a Facebook post Patterson made to a poisons page, where she claimed her cat had chewed on a mushroom and was vomiting. Justice Beale noted the post was made 18 months before the first allegation in relation to Simon. "In my view, even if the evidence of this post shows an interest in poisons, it is temporally remote," the judge said in his reasons. Patterson will face a two-day pre-sentence hearing later in August, during which she will listen to statements from the Pattersons and Wilkinsons. She will have 28 days to appeal after she is sentenced. Triple murderer Erin Patterson would have been unfairly prejudiced if a jury heard allegations she tried to kill her ex-husband in the years before a deadly mushroom lunch. Victorian Supreme Court Justice Christopher Beale made the decision on March 14, ruling Patterson would have to face a separate trial for the three attempted murder offences. Prosecutors ultimately dropped the charges in relation to Simon Patterson just before the triple-murder trial started in Morwell. Patterson was on July 7 found guilty of killing Simon's parents, Don and Gail, 70, and his aunt Heather Wilkinson, 66, along with the attempted murder of her husband Ian Wilkinson. Justice Beale's redacted pre-trial rulings were released to media on Monday evening after Patterson lost her bid to keep the evidence a secret to preserve her appeal rights. The details around the alleged attempted murders of Simon Patterson were revealed for the first time on Friday. Prosecutors had alleged Patterson tried to poison Simon several times between 2021 and 2022. The first was a penne pasta Patterson cooked him before leaving for a camping trip in November 2021, which led to a five-day hospital stay for Simon. He also ended up in a coma after a camping trip in late May 2022 where he allegedly ate a chicken korma curry Patterson had made him. Simon had to undergo surgery to remove a large portion of his bowel after eating the curry, he told the Supreme Court during pre-trial hearings. It was also alleged he fell ill in September 2022 after eating a wrap Patterson prepared for him while camping together at Wilsons Promontory. The prosecution claimed the allegations could be used as coincidence evidence to show the similarities between what allegedly happened to Simon and the mushroom lunch guests. But Justice Beale ruled the charges should be heard in a separate trial to prevent jurors from "misusing or overvaluing" the evidence in relation to Simon. He determined if a jury found Patterson had deliberately poisoned her four lunch guests in July 2023, there was a risk they would wrongly assess the charges relating to Simon. "I am not persuaded that its probative value substantially outweighs the significant danger or risk of unfair prejudice to the accused," Justice Beale said in his written reasons. The judge also made pre-trial rulings in relation to documents about poisoning found on devices police seized from Patterson's home. Justice Beale ruled the documents failed the relevance test because the evidence could only go as high as Patterson possibly accessed the file. The judge also stopped the jury from seeing a Facebook post Patterson made to a poisons page, where she claimed her cat had chewed on a mushroom and was vomiting. Justice Beale noted the post was made 18 months before the first allegation in relation to Simon. "In my view, even if the evidence of this post shows an interest in poisons, it is temporally remote," the judge said in his reasons. Patterson will face a two-day pre-sentence hearing later in August, during which she will listen to statements from the Pattersons and Wilkinsons. She will have 28 days to appeal after she is sentenced. Triple murderer Erin Patterson would have been unfairly prejudiced if a jury heard allegations she tried to kill her ex-husband in the years before a deadly mushroom lunch. Victorian Supreme Court Justice Christopher Beale made the decision on March 14, ruling Patterson would have to face a separate trial for the three attempted murder offences. Prosecutors ultimately dropped the charges in relation to Simon Patterson just before the triple-murder trial started in Morwell. Patterson was on July 7 found guilty of killing Simon's parents, Don and Gail, 70, and his aunt Heather Wilkinson, 66, along with the attempted murder of her husband Ian Wilkinson. Justice Beale's redacted pre-trial rulings were released to media on Monday evening after Patterson lost her bid to keep the evidence a secret to preserve her appeal rights. The details around the alleged attempted murders of Simon Patterson were revealed for the first time on Friday. Prosecutors had alleged Patterson tried to poison Simon several times between 2021 and 2022. The first was a penne pasta Patterson cooked him before leaving for a camping trip in November 2021, which led to a five-day hospital stay for Simon. He also ended up in a coma after a camping trip in late May 2022 where he allegedly ate a chicken korma curry Patterson had made him. Simon had to undergo surgery to remove a large portion of his bowel after eating the curry, he told the Supreme Court during pre-trial hearings. It was also alleged he fell ill in September 2022 after eating a wrap Patterson prepared for him while camping together at Wilsons Promontory. The prosecution claimed the allegations could be used as coincidence evidence to show the similarities between what allegedly happened to Simon and the mushroom lunch guests. But Justice Beale ruled the charges should be heard in a separate trial to prevent jurors from "misusing or overvaluing" the evidence in relation to Simon. He determined if a jury found Patterson had deliberately poisoned her four lunch guests in July 2023, there was a risk they would wrongly assess the charges relating to Simon. "I am not persuaded that its probative value substantially outweighs the significant danger or risk of unfair prejudice to the accused," Justice Beale said in his written reasons. The judge also made pre-trial rulings in relation to documents about poisoning found on devices police seized from Patterson's home. Justice Beale ruled the documents failed the relevance test because the evidence could only go as high as Patterson possibly accessed the file. The judge also stopped the jury from seeing a Facebook post Patterson made to a poisons page, where she claimed her cat had chewed on a mushroom and was vomiting. Justice Beale noted the post was made 18 months before the first allegation in relation to Simon. "In my view, even if the evidence of this post shows an interest in poisons, it is temporally remote," the judge said in his reasons. Patterson will face a two-day pre-sentence hearing later in August, during which she will listen to statements from the Pattersons and Wilkinsons. She will have 28 days to appeal after she is sentenced. Triple murderer Erin Patterson would have been unfairly prejudiced if a jury heard allegations she tried to kill her ex-husband in the years before a deadly mushroom lunch. Victorian Supreme Court Justice Christopher Beale made the decision on March 14, ruling Patterson would have to face a separate trial for the three attempted murder offences. Prosecutors ultimately dropped the charges in relation to Simon Patterson just before the triple-murder trial started in Morwell. Patterson was on July 7 found guilty of killing Simon's parents, Don and Gail, 70, and his aunt Heather Wilkinson, 66, along with the attempted murder of her husband Ian Wilkinson. Justice Beale's redacted pre-trial rulings were released to media on Monday evening after Patterson lost her bid to keep the evidence a secret to preserve her appeal rights. The details around the alleged attempted murders of Simon Patterson were revealed for the first time on Friday. Prosecutors had alleged Patterson tried to poison Simon several times between 2021 and 2022. The first was a penne pasta Patterson cooked him before leaving for a camping trip in November 2021, which led to a five-day hospital stay for Simon. He also ended up in a coma after a camping trip in late May 2022 where he allegedly ate a chicken korma curry Patterson had made him. Simon had to undergo surgery to remove a large portion of his bowel after eating the curry, he told the Supreme Court during pre-trial hearings. It was also alleged he fell ill in September 2022 after eating a wrap Patterson prepared for him while camping together at Wilsons Promontory. The prosecution claimed the allegations could be used as coincidence evidence to show the similarities between what allegedly happened to Simon and the mushroom lunch guests. But Justice Beale ruled the charges should be heard in a separate trial to prevent jurors from "misusing or overvaluing" the evidence in relation to Simon. He determined if a jury found Patterson had deliberately poisoned her four lunch guests in July 2023, there was a risk they would wrongly assess the charges relating to Simon. "I am not persuaded that its probative value substantially outweighs the significant danger or risk of unfair prejudice to the accused," Justice Beale said in his written reasons. The judge also made pre-trial rulings in relation to documents about poisoning found on devices police seized from Patterson's home. Justice Beale ruled the documents failed the relevance test because the evidence could only go as high as Patterson possibly accessed the file. The judge also stopped the jury from seeing a Facebook post Patterson made to a poisons page, where she claimed her cat had chewed on a mushroom and was vomiting. Justice Beale noted the post was made 18 months before the first allegation in relation to Simon. "In my view, even if the evidence of this post shows an interest in poisons, it is temporally remote," the judge said in his reasons. Patterson will face a two-day pre-sentence hearing later in August, during which she will listen to statements from the Pattersons and Wilkinsons. She will have 28 days to appeal after she is sentenced.


Perth Now
2 days ago
- Perth Now
Mum drugs, strangles son with shoelaces, dumps body in bin
They were the two people he most trusted — but his mum and girlfriend killed him with his own shoelaces before chopping his body up and throwing the pieces in the bin. Lorena Venier told police that she drugged and choked her 35-year-old son Alessandro Venier because he was abusing her and his Colombian girlfriend. Mailyn Castro Monsalvo, who is the mother of Alessandro's six-month-old child, admitted to helping the 61-year-old commit the brutal murder. Lorena told police that her son was abusing them and had drug and alcohol problems. She said that her son never worked and refused to help out around the house. Alessandro Venier was found chopped up into three pieces. Credit: Facebook The plot to kill Alessandro was conceived when he started talking about moving from their home in Udine in Italy to Colombia. 'Mailyn was being beaten up, insulted and threatened many times with death,' Lorena told a court in August. 'My son downplayed the post-natal depression she was suffering from. Alessandro was violent, Mailyn's life was in danger. 'I could not have allowed them to go to Colombia. Mailyn and the baby would have run very serious risks there.' Lorena said 'the only way to stop him was to kill him'. So on July 25, Lorena and Mailyn spiked a glass of lemonade with a tranquiliser. Alessandro drank it and Lorean then injected him with two doses of insulin, which she had taken from the hospital where she worked. However, the overdose play did not work and with Alessandro still alive, they turned to another method of finishing him off. They strangled him with his own bootlaces and smothered him with a pillow. Lorena then used a hacksaw to chop his body into three pieces, initially throwing them in the bin before the smell got too much and they encased him quicklime. The pair kept Alessandro's disappearance secret for a week, hoping family, friends and neighbours would believe he had moved to South America. Lorena has been charged with murder and concealing a body. Mailyn is suspected of instigation to murder. Her baby has been taken into care.