Man found guilty of murdering Guy’s cousin

A man broke down in tears as he was found guilty of murdering New Zealander Andy Marshall – slain Feilding farmer Scott Guy’s cousin – by pushing him through a pub window in Perth.

Stefan Pahia Schmidt, 26, seemed surprised at the verdict ,which could see him spend his life in prison.

A West Australian Supreme Court jury delivered the verdict late on Wednesday after an eight-day trial. It took just five hours to find Schmidt guilty of murder, rejecting less severe charges of manslaughter and unlawful assault causing death.

Schmidt had not denied pushing Andrew Marshall, 29, out of the window of the Ocean Beach Hotel in Perth’s upmarket coastal suburb of Cottesloe in May 2011, but had pleaded not guilty, saying the death was an accident as he only meant to push Marshall out of the way.

He broke down, holding his head in his hands and crying as the jury left the court.

Marshall was killed on May 8 last year, a little under a year after Guy was found shot dead near Feilding.

Marshall’s family travelled from New Zealand to Perth for the trial.

His father, Alan, said the family had found little relief and comfort in what they had heard.

‘‘We didn’t come seeking closure or even justice. The truth for us is that there is no verdict or outcome that will bring Andy back to us.

‘‘We don’t want to be bitter and waste our energy with regrets and grudges – that would be just punishing ourselves over and over – but we do want to send a strong message that violence is unacceptable and intolerable.’’

Sentencing is scheduled for September. Fairfax and AAP