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Trial hears Kalman Tal offered cash for amputation before his death

Pensioner offered cash for amputation weeks before death, court told

Witnesses have given evidence about a 66-year-old Queensland man shopping around for someone in his town to amputate his leg in the weeks before he died at a public park.

A man who died shortly after arranging to have his leg amputated in a public park had been shopping around for someone to "help him take his pain away", a court has heard.

Innisfail pensioner Kalman Tal, 66, allegedly paid farm worker John Yalu $5,000 in cash to amputate his lower left leg using a circular saw.

Mr Yalu, 41, has pleaded not guilty to murder but his trial at the Supreme Court in Cairns has heard he accepted that he caused Mr Tal's death and told police about the arranged amputation after his arrest.

However, Mr Yalu was not the first person Mr Tal had asked to cut off his leg, the court heard.

Occasionally news stories leave me behind baffled, this is one of them.

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