THE jury has returned a verdict of guilty in the Turondale murder trial held at the Supreme Court at Katoomba.
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Escaped prisoner Bradley John Holland, 23, formerly of South Terrace, Orange, had pleaded not guilty to murdering fellow escaped prisoner Shawn Allan Ellul at Turondale between December 3, 2001 and December 16, 2001.
The jury retired to consider the evidence yesterday morning, and returned its decision at about 5pm.
Holland and Ellul escaped from Bathurst jail on December 3, 2001.
Ellul's body was found in bushland near a fire trail on December 19, 2001.
Police recaptured Holland in Adelaide on December 27, 2001.
On committal, the Crown alleged that Holland stabbed Ellul more than 40 times, almost severing his head, at a bush camp near Coles Bridge, Turondale.
Holland had been working at the Bathurst jail laundry on the morning of December 3, 2001.
He was discovered missing during a head-check at 10.10am.
The key witness in the trial was Toni Maree Caldwell, who was camping with the two prisoners at the time of the murder.
Holland's defence lawyer was barrister Richard Button. The Crown's representative was Craig Patrick of Penrith.
The judge, John Dowd, summed up the prosecution and defence cases on Tuesday.
Holland will be sentenced at a later date.