Estranged partner of mother found dead in a backyard of Gold Coast home is charged with MURDER

The woman who was found dead with burns to her body in the backyard of a Gold Coast home has been identified as mother-of-three Kelly Wilkinson (pictured)

The estranged partner of a young mother who was found dead in a Gold Coast backyard has been charged with murder after allegedly setting her alight.

Kelly Wilkinson’s burnt body was discovered early on Tuesday morning on Spikes Court in Arundel, in the city’s north.  

Police were called to the area at 6:40am after neighbours reported hearing screams and the sound of an explosion.

Brian Johnston, 35, was found two blocks away on a front lawn in a ‘semiconscious’ state. 

Police allege Mr Johnston set the 27-year-old mother-of-three on fire, killing her, the Gold Coast Bulletin reports.  

He was charged with murder on Tuesday night and will appear in Southport Magistrates Court on Wednesday.  

Neighbours said they saw a bleeding man run from the scene.

‘He turned up in the bushes in the house next door to me – his left arm was heavily bandaged,’ one resident told 9News.

‘(A passerby) saw the fella and asked you know, ‘are you okay mate?’ He made some remark like, ‘I’m fine’, but he had his head down.’

Brian Johnston, 35, was found two blocks away on a front lawn in a ‘semiconscious’ state. He was charged with murder on Tuesday night and will appear in Southport Magistrates Court on Wednesday

Mr Johnston is currently under police guard at Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital in a serious condition with burns to his hands and airways.  

There were three young children, aged from two to nine, inside the house at the time of the alleged murder. They are all safe. 

A GoFundMe was created by Ms Wilkinson’s sister Natalie on Tuesday afternoon asking for help to pay for the funeral of her ‘beautiful angel’.

‘Unfortunately Kelly has passed away… we are trying to raise money to pay for the funeral, the kids schooling and all other costs,’ she wrote on the page. 

A GoFundMe was created by Ms Wilkinson’s sister Natalie on Tuesday afternoon asking for help to pay for the funeral of her ‘beautiful angel’ 

Ms Wilkinson’s body was found in the backyard of a residential Gold Coast home early on Tuesday morning

Police were called to the area at 6:40am and immediately cordoned off the street

Police say they believe the man and Ms Wilkinson were in a ‘previous relationship’

The GoFundMe has already seen donations totalling more than $7,000, just minutes after it was posted.

Ms Wilkinson’s sister asked for friends and family to ‘help the children’ through the difficult period.  

Kelly’s mother, Karen, passed away in February.

Several people responded to Ms Wilkinson’s sister’s post, expressing their condolences and devastation at the news.

‘Thinking of you and your family,’ one friend replied.

‘Oh babe… my heart reaches out to you all… If u need anything we are only a call away,’ another said.

‘I am so so so sorry Natalie,’ another said. 

The house where police say the man was found unconscious and with burns to his hands and airways

Detective Inspector Chris Ahern said a 35-year-old man is in a serious condition under police guard in hospital with burns to his hands and possible burns in his airways

Detective Inspector Chris Ahearn of the Gold Coast Police said a 35-year-old man is in a serious condition under police guard in hospital with burns to his hands and possible burns in his airways.

He had fled the scene of the incident and was found at a property in nearby Langer Place.  

‘One of the lines of inquiry is the male person located and the deceased female person were known to each other and were potentially in a previous relationship.’

‘The forensic examination will take some time.

‘There may be further evidence that has left that scene. Our intention is to lock that area down and determine (whether that is the case).

‘We believe he has a link to that house,’ Det Insp Ahearn said.

They are treating the incident as a homicide and have no other suspects. 

They are investigating as to whether there had been domestic violence calls made to the house in the past.

Three children aged under nine were also found at the property, Det. Insp. Ahern said. They were taken from the property earlier this morning and will be interviewed by police 

Fire crews arrive at the site to help police with investigations into the cause of Ms Wilkinson’s death

SES crews investigate the scene where Ms Wilkinson died and a man suffered burns, police say

Det. Insp. Ahearn said he did not know if the man was the father of the children and could not comment as to whether he was known to police for earlier domestic violence incidents.

It’s believed a neighbour phoned police after hearing a disturbance and raised voices at the house.  

Spikes Court remains closed off except to residents and forensic investigators.

Det. Insp. Ahern said he did not know if the man was the father of the children and could not comment as to whether he was known to police for earlier domestic violence incidents

Ms Wilkinson’s body was found early on Tuesday morning on Spikes Court in Arundel, north of the city’s CBD

Local resident Fred Davies, who has lived on the street for 20 years, told the Courier Mail the situation was ‘pretty traumatic’.

‘When we lived in a street for as long as we have, and we all know one another, I have no idea who it is, what’s happened, but to see this many police here obviously something’s pretty traumatic has happened,’ he said.

‘They won’t tell me nothing. They wouldn’t say a word. They’ve just asked to have a look at the cameras.’   

Police examined bins in Spikes Court in case the man had left anything as he fled the scene

A police forensic officer examines an object left at a bus stop near where the incident occurred

Rubbish collection in the area has been stopped as police search bins for evidence possibly discarded by the alleged offender as he left the property.

‘There may be further evidence that has left that scene,’ Detective Inspector Brendan Smith said.

‘Our intention is to lock that area down and determine (whether that is the case).’

Another forensic investigation officer was seen photographing what appeared to be a crumpled black garment at a nearby bus stop on Allied Drive, where it’s believed the man stopped as he fled the scene.

Mid-afternoon an SES crew from Southport joined police in searching Spikes Court and the surrounding neighbourhood for any evidence left behind by the alleged offender.