A woman accused of murdering her terminally-ill husband has compared her case to that of a fruit picker who was acquitted of murder after sawing off a desperate man's leg, a court has been told.
Background of the Case
In April 2025, Brisbane mother Kylie Truswell-Mobbs, 50, was charged with murder following the death of her husband David Mobbs in December 2023. Mr Mobbs suffered from motor neurone disease (MND), which left him unable to walk or speak. The Crown alleges Ms Truswell-Mobbs unlawfully administered a “cocktail” of prescription medications to her husband in his final stages of life to end his suffering.
Police Interview and Allegations
Ms Truswell-Mobbs is alleged to have told police in an interview days after her husband’s death that she “didn’t want him to go … I just wanted him to go peacefully”. During a bail application at Brisbane Supreme Court on Wednesday, the court heard that Mr Mobbs was previously a “fit and strong” firefighter before he began exhibiting neurological symptoms associated with MND.
Defence Arguments
Defence barrister Ruth O’Gorman said the once-active Mr Mobbs became “entirely bedridden”, using “grunted noises” and blinking or signing boards to communicate. His wife became his full-time carer, and Mr Mobbs was investigating palliative care and voluntary assisted dying options. The court was told Ms Truswell-Mobbs admitted to injecting the lethal dose, stating she did so at his request to end his life.
Witness Evidence
At a prior committal hearing, Ms Truswell-Mobbs’ adult son Rylee Relja gave evidence that he confirmed his stepfather’s wishes after his mother advised him of her plan. “He blinked at me twice, which meant ‘yes’,” Mr Relja said.
Comparison to Previous Case
On Wednesday, Ms O’Gorman argued that the circumstances of her client’s case had materially changed following a committal hearing in February. She claimed the Crown’s case for murder would not necessarily return a guilty verdict, as the jury is entitled to “give effect to an innate sense of justice and fairness”. She referred to a recent unrelated Cairns Supreme Court matter involving the death of a man who hired a fruit picker to amputate his leg.
Banana picker John Yalu, originally from Vanuatu, was acquitted of murder but found guilty of manslaughter last month in the death of pensioner Kalman Tal. At trial, the jury was told Mr Tal paid Mr Yalu $5,000 to amputate his ankle and foot due to pain. Mr Yalu left Mr Tal to bleed to death instead of taking him to hospital. Ms O’Gorman noted that the jury was directed by Justice John Henry to consider the “innate sense of justice and fairness” and found in favour of the defendant, adding that similar directions could be open for Ms Truswell-Mobbs’ case.
Crown Prosecution Response
Crown prosecutor Sarah Dennis said the Crown case for murder was strong, with “each of the elements of murder made out”. She argued that evidence is largely not in dispute about what actually happened, and Ms Truswell-Mobbs’ intention was to end her husband’s life. Ms Dennis emphasised the importance of witness statements from both of Ms Truswell-Mobbs’ adult sons, stating that if she were released on bail and allowed to live with her son, the topic of the trial “can’t help but naturally preoccupy the three people involved”, leading to potential witness interference.
Regarding the Cairns case, Ms Dennis said she “could not accept” the direction was given as described and would need more time to research its legality. She also noted that the Crown is considering whether a charge of assisting suicide could be added as an alternative. “There is no firm position that has been reached in respect to that,” she advised the court.
Bail Decision Adjourned
The case was adjourned until Tuesday, June 9, to investigate the legitimacy of the Cairns case connection. This was the second time Ms Truswell-Mobbs has applied for bail. She remains in custody awaiting the court’s decision.
