John Peros trial: Man acquitted of Shandee Blackburn’s murder allegedly ‘pelted’ BHP worker with punches

A WA man at the heart of one of the nation’s top true crime podcasts based on the murder of his Queensland girlfriend Shandee Blackburn has gone on trial in Perth accused a bashing a co-worker at a Pilbara mine site. John Peros was cleared five years ago by a Queensland jury of the frenzied stabbing of Ms Blackburn in 2013. But in 2020, Queensland coroner David O’Connell found that the “only rational conclusion” was that the former champion amateur boxer fatally attacked his 23-year-old girlfriend as she walked home from work in Mackay in the early hours of February 9, 2013. The explosive finding sparked the release of popular podcast Shandee’s Story, which has examined the handling of DNA evidence in the case and triggered a commission of inquiry into forensic testing in that State. It has also prompted Mr Peros to launch legal action against those involved in the podcast’s production. While those civil proceedings are still in their early stages, well and truly underway is a criminal trial in Perth Magistrates Court, where Mr Peros stands accused of one count of assault occasioning bodily harm at a BHP mine site in Newman, 1180km north of Perth. Speaking from the witness box on Monday, the first in an intense two-day legal battle, Mr Peros’ former colleague Troy Verden recalled the “state of panic” he was in at watching fellow FIFO worker Alexander Gell get peppered with punches. It was June 9, 2020, and Mr Peros and Mr Gell had been working together to repair a hose on top of giant excavator when Mr Peros allegedly “popped him”. The day before, Mr Gell — who was the first of five witnesses expected to give evidence in the trial — was watching a news report of a Black Lives Matter protest on his phone, which showed protesters attacking police officers. While watching it, Mr Gell claims Mr Peros said “all police should die”, prompting Mr Gell to answer with words to the effect of: “You’re a moron . . . how would you like it if they were your family”. In response, Mr Peros said: “Don’t f. . . ing threaten my family”. When questioning Mr Gell over the exchange, top defence barrister Craig Eberhardt KC — who represented Mr Peros five years earlier at his trial for Ms Blackburn’s murder — suggested that Mr Gell’s words had actually been far more sinister than he’d claimed in court. “I put to you, that you said: ‘Your family should die’,” Mr Eberhardt told Mr Gell, who answered: “Absolutely not”. The following day, while the pair were working on a digger, Mr Gell said Mr Peros “kept looking at me”, and when prompted, said: “Don’t you dare threaten my family again otherwise I’ll kick your teeth in”. Fellow FIFO worker Robert Pasco, who was standing up to 10m away at the time, said Mr Peros then “pelted” Mr Gell with punches. “It was rapid fire. Maybe 10 or 15 (blows). It could have been less,” Mr Pasco said in his evidence, before describing how he’d seen Mr Gell hunched over with his arms hiding his face. He also recalled seeing Mr Peros kick Mr Gell in the shoulder — a detail rejected by the accused’s legal counsel and Mr Verden, who says “it was all arms”. “Alex was yelling ‘help me he’s going to kill me, help me, help me!’, Mr Verden told the court. After managing to pull the men apart, he claims Mr Gell screamed “you’re a f . . . ing psycho” at Mr Peros, who he says responded with “don’t talk about my family like that”. While Mr Gell was being treated for his injuries, which included a missing tooth and multiple open wounds to his face and head, Mr Peros drove back to the workers’ camp with Mr Verden. During the drive back, Mr Verden claims Mr Peros said: “I’m in trouble aren’t I?”. The trial continues on Tuesday.