The jury in the case of a man who allegedly murdered his estranged wife in 2020 by striking her with a sledgehammer has been discharged in a mistrial.
Shaun Robert Sturgess on Monday pleaded not guilty at the beginning of his trial in the Supreme Court to the murder of Jacqueline Sturgess, 45, who was found in a pool of blood at a house north of Brisbane.
The prosecution alleged Mr Sturgess had struck Ms Sturgess with a 1.8 kilogram sledgehammer after she went to pick up a desk from the Narangba property, and then left her body before going to drink with a friend.
The court had heard almost two days of evidence before the jury was discharged on Tuesday afternoon for legal reasons, with the case declared a mistrial.
The case is listed for mention again on October 6.
