University student, 20, 'bashed her mother to death with a piece of wood found stashed in her bedroom - before she called police to claim there were intruders in their home'

  • Simona Zafirovska is accused of bashing her mother, 56, to death with wood
  • Radica Zafirovska's bloody body was found in her Brisbane home in October
  • Simona alleged intruders were in the home and murdered her mum, court heard
  • The Crown said there was no time for an intruder to hide the alleged weapon

By Australian Associated Press

Published: 02:56 EDT, 14 March 2017 | Updated: 02:56 EDT, 14 March 2017

A 20-year-old university student accused of bashing her own mother to death with a piece of wood claimed intruders were behind the murder, a court has heard.

But there would have been 'absolutely no opportunity' for an intruder to plant the alleged murder weapon in the accused's bedroom, the prosecution said.

Simona Zafirovska has been charged with murdering her Macedonian mother Radica Zafirovska, who worked as a cleaner at Brisbane's Supreme and District courts.

University student Simona Zafirovska (right) has been charged with murdering her mother

University student Simona Zafirovska (right) has been charged with murdering her mother

Radica Zafirovska's bloodied body was found in her Brisbane home in October last year

Radica Zafirovska's bloodied body was found in her Brisbane home in October last year

The 56-year-old woman's bloodied body was found at her home at The Gap in outer north-west Brisbane on October 28, after her daughter raised the alarm.

Ms Zafirovska did not appear at a Supreme Court of Queensland bail hearing in Brisbane on Tuesday morning, where prosecutor Matt Hynes said the deceased had been struck at least 20 times with a timber paling that measured nearly one metre long.

The Crown alleged this was the weapon used in the 'gruesome' killing and it was found 'secreted' in Ms Zafirovska's bedroom, Mr Hynes said.

He said Ms Zafirovska was on the phone to triple-zero between 7am and 7.17am telling the operator there was one or more intruders in the house.

'She's telling them that as at 7.15am, police arrive at 7.17am,' Mr Hynes told the court.

'There is absolutely no opportunity for someone to have planted what we say is the murder weapon in her room.'

He said there were also no signs of forced entry or theft, and Ms Zafirovska's suggestion she'd been woken up by barking dogs didn't match with neighbours' statements about noise at the time.

The crime scene at The Gap in Brisbane's outer northwest at the end of October 2016

The crime scene at The Gap in Brisbane's outer northwest at the end of October 2016

Mr Hynes said the deceased was in her bed when she was attacked - reducing the likelihood of an interrupted intrusion gone wrong.

He described Ms Zafirovska's claims as 'a little far fetched'.

But her defence team submitted the young woman appeared 'terrified' to first responders and could have been hiding under her doona in fear as someone entered and left her room.

The court heard it couldn't be ruled out that an intruder had placed the weapon in her room after the killing but before Ms Zafirovska realised there was someone in the home.

An unknown car was also seen leaving the area at about 7am, and a series of documents at the house appeared disturbed after the incident, it was also heard.

Justice Martin Daubney will make his decision to grant or deny bail later on Tuesday.

Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.