NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather forecasts

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
    • The Great NZ Road Trip
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
    • Cooking the Books
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • What the Actual
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / World

Court hears how accused murderer Brenden Bennetts searched 'best way to dispose of a body'

By Sarah Motherwell
AAP·
11 Sep, 2017 07:58 AM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Brenden Bennetts has admitted the schoolgirl's manslaughter but the prosecution insisted he stand trial for murder.

Brenden Bennetts has admitted the schoolgirl's manslaughter but the prosecution insisted he stand trial for murder.

Brenden Bennetts searched for "best way to dispose of a body" on YouTube the day before he killed Australian schoolgirl Jayde Kendall, a murder trial has heard.

However, it is not possible to tell what videos, if any, the 18-year-old actually looked at after he made the search.

Bennetts, now aged 21, has pleaded guilty to manslaughter but is on trial in the Brisbane Supreme Court for murder as he denies he intended to cause Jayde's death.

 Bennetts picked Jayde up after school about 3.25pm. Photo / AAP
Bennetts picked Jayde up after school about 3.25pm. Photo / AAP

The jury has heard Jayde and Bennetts started texting each other on Thursday, August 13 after the pair crossed paths at the McDonald's where the 16-year-old worked.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Jayde previously went out with Bennetts' friend Matthew Ross but the two had allegedly not moved in the same social circles for some time.

The court heard on Monday Bennetts used his phone to search for "best way to dispose of a body" at 12.19pm on the Thursday but police could not determine if he looked at any of the search results.

Bennetts picked Jayde up after school about 3.25pm the next day in his distinctive red Toyota Corolla and was captured on CCTV driving out of town.

He then allegedly texted Jayde's bank account PIN to himself at 3.58pm.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The court heard Bennetts' phone allegedly communicated with two cell towers north of the isolated field where Jayde's body was found between 4.24pm and 5.01pm.

Sixteen-year-old Jayde Kendall was last seen in southeast Queensland's Lockyer Valley on Friday, August 14, 2015. Photo / AAP
Sixteen-year-old Jayde Kendall was last seen in southeast Queensland's Lockyer Valley on Friday, August 14, 2015. Photo / AAP

Telecommunications specialist Detective Sergeant Adam Riley testified Jayde's phone did not communicate with a cell tower outside the Gatton township during those times, possibly because it was out of battery, turned off or on aeroplane mode.

The court heard Bennetts used Google Maps to find his way back to town, where he was captured on CCTV withdrawing $70 from Jayde's account at a Commonwealth Bank ATM.

Bennetts allegedly deleted Jayde as a contact from his phone as well as any text messages they had sent to each other.

Discover more

World

Schoolgirl killer tried to 'strangle former girlfriends'

04 Sep 04:06 AM
World

Murder accused 'took bondage too far'

07 Sep 11:49 PM
New Zealand

Kiwi told family: 'Get out and go now, don't wait for me'

08 Sep 11:24 PM
Police guard a road leading to the location of the body of murdered teenager Jayde Kendall (top left) outside of Gatton, west of Brisbane. Photo / AAP
Police guard a road leading to the location of the body of murdered teenager Jayde Kendall (top left) outside of Gatton, west of Brisbane. Photo / AAP

The court heard Jayde and Bennetts sent 48 messages to each other on the mobile app Snapchat but those images could not be recovered by police.

Jayde's body was found in long grass on August 27 by retiree Tom Tate, who was investigating a strange smell on his property.

Bennetts has pleaded not guilty to murder.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from World

World

Xi Jinping in Moscow as Ukraine accuses Russia of violating truce

08 May 07:01 PM
live
World

Watch: World reacts as first American pope named, takes name Leo XIV

08 May 06:58 PM
WorldUpdated

Robert Prevost becomes first US pope with deep ties to Peru

08 May 06:02 PM

One tiny baby’s fight to survive

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from World

Xi Jinping in Moscow as Ukraine accuses Russia of violating truce

Xi Jinping in Moscow as Ukraine accuses Russia of violating truce

08 May 07:01 PM

The Chinese leader visited Moscow for talks before Russia's Victory Day celebrations.

Watch: World reacts as first American pope named, takes name Leo XIV
live

Watch: World reacts as first American pope named, takes name Leo XIV

08 May 06:58 PM
Robert Prevost becomes first US pope with deep ties to Peru

Robert Prevost becomes first US pope with deep ties to Peru

08 May 06:02 PM
Eyes on the chapel: Black smoke again as conclave fails to elect new pope

Eyes on the chapel: Black smoke again as conclave fails to elect new pope

08 May 08:52 AM
Connected workers are safer workers 
sponsored

Connected workers are safer workers 

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP