A jury has heard a Tasmanian couple accused of murdering their former son-in-law, "hated him" and shot him multiple times to get him out of their daughter's life.
Swansea couple Cedric and Noelene Jordan are on trial in Launceston Supreme Court for the alleged murder of 36-year-old Shane Barker on August 2, 2009, in Campbell Town.
In his opening address, the Director of Public Prosecutions, Darryl Coates, told the jury that, on the night of the alleged murder, Mr Barker had dinner with his parents, who also lived in Campbell Town.
He left their house around 6:30pm and told his mother he was going straight home.
It is the Crown's case that Mr Barker had not been home for long when he was shot three times in the back and a fourth shot to his chest while he was on the ground.
The court was told the shots were fired from at least 1 metre away.
Mr Barker's body was found inside his house in the hallway the following day.
"This was not a burglary gone wrong … it was a killing in cold blood … a premeditated murder by someone who knew him," Mr Coates said.
"It's the Crown's case that the accused drove to Campbell Town from Swansea. They went to his house, shot him and then left him to die.
"And they've been lying about it ever since.
"They hated Mr Barker and wanted him out of their daughter Rachel's life.
"They had a daughter together … and it was not an amicable split."
The court also was told the accused were not happy about the financial situation Rachel was left in after the divorce.
"It was a very tense and toxic relationship," Mr Coates said.
"Rachel would call her mum multiple times a day and would complain about Shane and say how much she hated him.
"They were very close."
The court also was told identical bullet casings from the firearm used to kill Mr Barker where also found by police at a property owned by the Jordan family in the Central Highlands.
"They were fired from the same gun … they were found under a shipping container on the property," Mr Coates told the court.
"They'd been there for many years, since 2009.
"This is strong evidence of the accused's guilt."
Ammunition matching what was used in the murder was also located at the Jordans' Swansea property.
However, the firearm has never been found.
The court also was told in the weeks after the murder, both Cedric and Noelene Jordan were stressed and sought medication and sleeping aids from their doctors.
"This was not a random act … they were in this together," Mr Coates said.
Defence lawyers for the accused will resume on Wednesday.
The trial is expected to run for about two months.
