Jury to decide on Qld man over wife death

A Queensland jury is set to decide if a woman took her own life at the encouragement of her husband over a plot involving money and religion.

Gold Coast man Graham Robert Morant, 69, is on trial for aiding and counselling Jennifer Morant to kill herself in 2014 as he stood beneficiary to her $1.4 million life insurance.

Morant has been accused of encouraging Jennifer by telling her the insurance money would be used to build a religious commune as a haven from the biblical rapture where he would be pastor.

He also said she would be too weak to survive the rapture and her suicide would not be a sin in God's eyes because it would help their church, the prosecution has alleged.

Ms Morant suffered chronic back pain but no terminal illness, the trial heard.

Morant told police his wife wanted to die and her failed suicide attempts were "hiccups".

But two witnesses close to Ms Morant testified she did not want to kill herself and was scared by his pressure on her to do so.

The jury is expected to retire to consider its verdict on Thursday.

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