Source : Perth Now news
The mental anguish of a missing beauty queen has been laid bare after her alleged notebook entries were read to a court.
Brisbane Zumba instructor Mark Sheridan Waden pleaded not guilty to murder before Brisbane Supreme Court on Wednesday following the alleged death of his ex-partner Priscilla Brooten.
The American former beauty queen disappeared from the Bracken Ridge home she shared with Mr Waden in July 2018.
Her body has never been found.
The court was told the pair had been romantically linked since late 2016.
On Friday, the jury were shown the contents of an A4 notebook found in a search of Mr Waden’s home following Ms Brooten’s disappearance.
The court was shown crime scene photos of other items found in the home including women’s clothes and a Sony laptop.
Crown prosecutor Andrew Walklate, in his opening address, argued the notebook belonged to Ms Brooten and contained passages about her relationship with Mr Waden.
The contents, read aloud to the court, included dated entries describing the writer’s mental turmoil and relationship woes.
“I lied to sir, I am a liar, I asked for one more chance,” it read.
“No more lies, no more pretend effort, I want to earn sir’s trust.”
One of the last entries in the notebook read to the court referenced an alleged moment of violence.
“I remember when you beat the shit out of me,” the passage read.
“Do you know what it has done to me, my psyche?
“You gave me excuses blamed me I hate you for what you did to me.
“I tried to kill myself, you don’t care.
“You beat me, you don’t care.
“I have nothing now, everything I have, everything believed was just lies.”
It described a time where the writer, believed to be Ms Brooten, called the man, who Mr Walklate alleged was Mr Waden.
“He calls back screaming … so loud I cannot understand him,” it read.
The writer then described how the man accused them of abuse in turn.
“He chooses to sleep next to me,” a passage read.
“I have never threatened to kill, stab or physically hurt him.
“According to him, I have threatened to ruin his life by exposing his weed growing and selling operation.
“I am not crazy, I am mentally unwell.
“He claims I am uncontrollable but doesn’t explain what that entails.
“Yes I may say things like you are a loser, f**k you or I’m leaving you … I have never threatened him or given any indication that I would.
“He is saying those things to cover himself.”
The court previously heard Mr Waden told police Ms Brooten would get “uncontrollable” but clarified she was never physically violent with him.
On Friday afternoon, the court heard from several former students of Mr Waden’s Zumba and Zouk dance classes in and around North Brisbane.
The witnesses each told the court Mr Waden had explained Ms Brooten’s absence by claiming was on the run from immigration police.
The court was told Mr Waden told one former student and friend “no one would see her again” as she had gone into hiding.
The jury were also shown a Brisbane City Council enforcement notice issued to Mr Waden in February 2009 regarding an unsafe retaining wall on his property; the notice was revoked in March 2010.
Lead detective on Ms Brooten’s case, Senior Constable Anthea Johnston testified she had enquired with the council to obtain all relevant communications, including noncompliance warnings, between council and Mr Waden.
The jury was shown evidence, both on Friday and previously at trial, of Mr Waden’s messages to contractors, attempting to hire an excavator. In the messages Mr Waden told both contractors he required the digger urgently as council were “on his back” about finishing his retaining wall.
More to come
