A jury will continue deliberations on Friday in the case of a South Australian man charged with the 1973 cold case murder of his wife.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Geoffrey Adams has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Colleen Adams, who went missing from their home in Maitland on the Yorke Peninsula, 46 years ago.
But he has admitted to her manslaughter.
Her remains were found in September 2018, buried in the backyard of the property.
At the opening of his Supreme Court trial last week, prosecutor Jim Pearce QC told the jury the 72-year-old had struck his wife over the head with a metal bar and immediately began taking steps to conceal his crime.
"Within a few hours he dug a shallow grave in the backyard of the matrimonial home where he buried Mrs Adams' body," Mr Pearce said.
"He then set about laying a false trail - a trail designed to conceal his guilt.
"It's alleged the accused promulgated a story that had, at its epicentre, that one morning Mrs Adams got up, packed her bags and walked out of the marriage."
Defence counsel Bill Boucaut QC told the jury there was very little evidence in dispute.
"There is no issue with the suggestion that the accused caused the death of his wife and that he did so unlawfully," he said.
"You would gather that from the very fact that he has pleaded guilty to manslaughter."
Mr Boucaut said no issue would also be taken that Adams buried his wife's body and then told a series of lies about what happened.
But he said just because someone had told what could be described as "despicable lies", that did not necessarily make him guilty of murder.
The jury retired to consider its verdict just after 3pm on Thursday and later asked to continue their deliberations on Friday.
Australian Associated Press