Related: Family trying to understand killings
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Related: Three dead in Wedderburn shootings
Related: Town reeling after triple shooting
A COURT has heard Greg Holmes died from multiple stab and slash wounds after a struggle on a property south of Wedderburn last year.
Ian Francis Jamieson, 63, appeared in the Bendigo Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday where he was committed to stand trial for the murders of Mr Holmes, 48, his mother Mary Lockhart, 75, and stepfather Peter Lockhart, 78.
He pleaded not guilty to the murder of his neighbour Mr Holmes and did not offer a plea for the murders of Mr and Mrs Lockhart, who lived on the other side of Wedderburn-Logan Road.
Forensic pathologist Dr Heinrich Bouwer described at least 20 individual wounds he examined on the body of Mr Holmes after his death on October 22 last year.
Dr Bouwer said a number of the wounds could have been fatal, including a wound to Mr Holmes’ back that penetrated his chest cavity.
Stab wounds to his chest were also likely to be fatal, the court heard.
Mr Holmes had slash wounds to the palm of one hand, which Dr Bouwer believed would have been caused by grabbing the blade of the knife during a struggle.
Detective Senior Constable Jason Wallace from the Homicide Squad said Jamieson maintained Mr Holmes “attacked” him.
Jamieson told police “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”.
The body of Mr Holmes was found on his own property, between his house and the boundary with Jamieson’s property.
He did not suffer any gunshot injuries.
It was alleged Jamieson murdered Mr Holmes before travelling to the nearby property of Mr and Mrs Lockhart where he shot and killed the couple.
The court heard Jamieson and Mr Holmes had a number of altercations before the October 22 incident, including on June 6 when Mr Holmes allegedly held his rifle up to Jamieson on his front door step.
Jamieson contacted police after the incident where he told members “I walked away – and I could drop dead, this was no lie – the bloke pointed his firearm at me”.
The court heard the use of a dirt track between the properties of Jamieson and Mr Holmes had been a source of contention between the two for several months.
Police had previously been called to the property of Mr Holmes following disputes between the pair.
The court heard Mr Holmes called the Wedderburn Police Station at 8.14pm on October 22 – the night of the alleged murder – and Jamieson could be heard in the background.
Detective Senior Constable Jason Wallace said there was no violence at that stage, with Mr Holmes telling police Jamieson was “annoying the hell out of him”.
Police attended the property shortly after but could not locate Mr Holmes, before they heard nearby gunshots, believed to be the shots that killed Mr and Mrs Lockhart at their property on the other side of Wedderburn-Logan Road.
Police arrested Jameison after a three-and-a-half hour siege that night.
He will appear at a directions hearing at the Melbourne Supreme Court on July 20.
