Qld murder accused 'extorted for millions'

Kym Cobby was taking her rubbish out when she was attacked, beaten and left to die outside her home in the Gold Coast Hinterland.

Neighbours heard yelling and screaming before her body was later found on the street outside her Worongary home on November 12, 2017.

Her estranged husband Andrew John Cobby was emotionless as he faced a Queensland court charged with her murder on Tuesday.

Wearing a grey shirt and beige shorts, Cobby had a black eye when he appeared for a directions hearing in Southport Magistrates Court.

Defence barrister Tony Kimmins told the court that Cobby had gone to his wife's home the night of the murder, but he claimed they had both been attacked by another person.

Cobby fled into bushland where he was later found by police with a number of injuries and taken into custody.

He told police that in the days before his wife's murder, four men had been trying to extort $30 million from him after he allegedly misappropriated a substantial sum of money.

It is alleged the four men threatened Cobby after funds intended to invest in the stock market disappeared.

Despite the financial issue, Mr Kimmins told the court Cobby had no motive to kill his wife.

"His children said they were getting on well, there were no acts of violence. There were no protection order, no DV order or prior assaults," he said.

"So far as life insurance there is no reference to him inheriting, there is no financial motive."

Mr Kimmins applied to cross-examine five people over the alleged threats and extortion.

Magistrate Jane Bentley found their evidence was relevant to the case and ordered they give evidence at a committal hearing on October 11.