The boyfriend of murdered British backpacker Caroline Stuttle today told of their last phone conversation just before she was allegedly hurled 30 feet to her death from an Australian bridge.
Ian Douglas Previte, 32, has pleaded not guilty to the murder and robbery of the 19-year-old York student in Bundaberg, 220 miles north of Brisbane, on April 10, 2002.
Caroline was walking across the Burnett River traffic bridge about 9pm when she was attacked. The prosecution claims drifter Previte, a known addict, was trying snatch her handbag for money to buy drugs Her boyfriend Ian Nelson today told the Queensland Supreme Court in Bundaberg of the last conversation he had with Caroline before she died.
Mr Nelson, 23, an Edinburgh bank employee, said she had sounded happy when she called him in York from a pay phone at the Bundaberg Post Office for an hour just before she was killed.
''We talked about what she had been doing ... her mood was fine,'' he said.
Mr Nelson said Caroline's travelling companion Sarah had rung on her mobile phone to check on her during the phone call.
Caroline arranged to ring Sarah twice on Sarah's mobile, as a signal, as she was returning home to their caravan park cabin.
Mr Nelson said he had known Caroline for two years and that she had worked at Pizza Hut to save for her much longed for trip to Australia.
The Supreme Court jury was also told no identifiable DNA from the murder scene could be found to match that of the accused killer.
Forensic scientist Christine Bentley said the only identifiable DNA was on the strap of Caroline's bag and that belonged to her.
Dr Bentley said there was DNA from two other people on the strap which belonged to a man but there was not enough DNA to make any further identification.
''There was some indications that there could have been three people,'' she said of the DNA on the handbag strap.
Dr Bentley also tested other personal items Caroline had with her on the night but the DNA was not strong enough on them to come up with a profile.
The jury was also given a glimpse of happier days Caroline spent in Australia with some holiday snaps taken in Sydney and on the beach featuring her with her distinctive black handbag which she fought so hard to keep in a struggle on the Bundaberg bridge.
The trial will enter its forth day tomorrow.
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