Motive Offered as Schoolgirl Murder Trial Nears End
GOULBURN, NSW – As the trial of a man accused of murdering a 14-year-old schoolgirl draws to a close, the prosecution has outlined its motive for the crime. The accused, Matthew Milat, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of the victim, Shae Bugden, whose body was found in bushland near Goulburn in 2020. In his closing arguments on Thursday, Crown Prosecutor Mark Tedeschi QC argued that Milat had killed Shae because she had threatened to expose his illicit activities. “The prosecution case is that the accused murdered Shae Bugden because she said that she was going to tell everyone what he was getting up to,” Mr Tedeschi told the jury. He said Milat had been involved in the production and distribution of child exploitation material, and that Shae had threatened to report him to the police. “He killed her to prevent her from doing so,” Mr Tedeschi said. The prosecution presented evidence during the trial that Milat had been downloading and distributing child exploitation material for several years, and that he had previously been investigated by police for similar offences. The jury was also shown a series of text messages between Milat and Shae in which she threatened to expose his activities if he did not stop contacting her. Mr Tedeschi said the text messages showed that Shae was “terrified” of Milat and that she was “desperate” to end his contact with her. The defence lawyer, Geoffrey Judd SC, argued that there was no evidence to support the prosecution’s motive for the crime, and that Milat was not responsible for Shae’s death. “The Crown has failed to prove that the accused murdered Shae Bugden beyond a reasonable doubt,” Mr Judd said. He said the prosecution’s case was based on speculation and circumstantial evidence, and that the jury should find Milat not guilty. The jury is expected to begin deliberations on Friday.
