Homicide detectives have charged a man with murder after a man was found dead and a woman suffered serious head injuries at a home north of Brisbane.
Det Insp David Harbison said it was not a domestic violence-related incident and Frederick Steel Sayers, 26, was not previously known to the victims.
“We believe he just attended today to do some form of gardening duties,” Harbison said on Thursday.
Police were called to do a welfare check at a Burpengary East home on Thursday morning where they found two people in their 70s with serious head injuries.
The 74-year-old man was declared dead at the scene while the 71-year-old woman was taken to hospital in a life-threatening condition. The woman remained in the Royal Brisbane and Women’s hospital in a critical condition on Thursday night.
Sayers was taken into custody after he waited at the property for police.
Police charged the man on Thursday night with one count of murder and one count of attempted murder.
The charges against Sayers were heard for the first time at Pine Rivers magistrates court on Friday but the Beachmere man was not required to appear in person.
Legal aid duty solicitor Brendan Whelan asked for an adjournment to allow police to provide him with the evidence involved in the case from forensic examinations, DNA testing and witnesses.
“I would require three months to allow for the size of it,” Whelan said.
Police prosecutor Alex Donald said he would be able to provide a brief of evidence within 10 weeks.
Sayers was previously denied police bail and must apply to the supreme court to be granted bail on a murder charge under Queensland law.
Acting magistrate Peter Cooke ordered the matter next be heard for a committal mention on 26 July at Caboolture magistrates court.
Police were not looking for any other persons of interest. Harbison described it as a tragic and devastating incident.
“It is so terribly traumatic for anyone to see this, including first responders,” he said. “We hope to get to the bottom of it and learn more and try to understand how this incident occurred.”