Tambellup man Gregory John William Quartermaine accused of decapitating and dismembering alleged murder victim

Horrifying details of an alleged methamphetamine-fuelled murder that rocked the Great Southern town of Tambellup have emerged on the first day of a trial in Albany. Gregory John William Quartermaine, 42, appeared in the Albany Supreme Court on Monday for the first day of a seven-day trial after pleading not guilty to the murder of 60-year-old Wilfred Williams in Tambellup on August 4, 2019. The Tambellup man was charged with murder after emergency services were faced with what police described as “an extremely confronting situation” at the scene of Mr Williams’ death in the early hours of August 4. Police were called to a house on Garrity Street in Tambellup, about 25km north-east of Cranbrook. The State has alleged that Mr Quartermaine decapitated Mr Williams, cut off body parts and removed organs. In his opening statement, State prosecutor David Davidson described the events leading up to the alleged drug-fuelled attack on Mr Williams, which allegedly occurred while at least six other people were in the house. He said Mr Quartermaine had been heavily injecting meth before the alleged murder. About midnight on August 4, it is alleged that Mr Quartermaine attended his mother’s house on Garrity Street with a machete in his hand, Mr Davidson said. “(One of the witnesses) heard Mr Quartermaine enter the house saying ‘Where’s Uncle Wilfred?’ and started to head towards his bedroom shouting his name,” Mr Davidson said. “(Another witness), who was 12 at the time, heard Mr Quartermaine coming into the house throwing chairs around. Mr Quartermaine was heard saying, ‘I’m going to kill Pop Willy.” Another witness saw Mr Quartermaine grab Mr Williams and drag him through the house. Mr Davidson said the 60-year-old was repeatedly attacked over the course of 15-40 minutes. The post-mortem report conducted on August 7 last year confirmed the cause of death was multiple “sharp force injuries”. Mr Davidson told the court Mr Quartermaine was “unusually high” on meth and cannabis. Paranoid psychosis could lead to aggression, personality changes and hallucinations, he said. Mr Davidson said regardless of Mr Quartermaine’s level of intoxication, there were several reasons that demonstrated an intent to cause death or injury. Mr Quartermaine told police at the scene “God made me do it, I cut his head off and I’ll take yours, too,” Mr Davidson said. After he was arrested, the accused spoke to a doctor via video link at 4.15am, saying: “I killed that mongrel Willy, they all had the face of the devil, I would’ve killed my mother if not Uncle Willy,” Mr Davidson said. In an interview, Mr Quartermaine said the “black magic man” and the “devil” were responsible for his actions,” Mr Davidson said. Defence counsel Bruno Illari said his client admitted he unlawfully caused the death of Mr Williams. But Mr Illari said that after recovering from a “drug-induced psychosis”, Mr Quartermaine had limited recollection of the attack. The trial continues.