David Lee Tan became a figure of national attention through one of Brisbane’s most confronting criminal cases, centred on a business premises in Coopers Plains where two men lost their lives within a short period. What initially appeared to be an ordinary commercial site in Brisbane’s south was later revealed, through Supreme Court proceedings, to be a place where violence, secrecy, and criminal decision-making intersected with devastating consequences.
Tan was not the individual who inflicted the fatal injuries in either death. However, the Queensland Supreme Court found that his conduct before and after both incidents played a significant role in enabling the crimes and concealing their aftermath. The case resulted in a lengthy custodial sentence and left a permanent mark on the families involved and on Brisbane’s recent criminal history.
At the time of sentencing, David Lee Tan was 42 years old. He operated a business depot at Coopers Plains and was living at the premises during the period in which the offences occurred. The court accepted that Tan exercised control over the site where both deaths took place and that his ongoing presence there was central to the events that unfolded.
The Death of Andrew Christopher Walsh
The first death connected to the Coopers Plains premises was that of Andrew Christopher Walsh. Walsh, aged 35, was killed on 8 November 2021. The Supreme Court heard that he was violently assaulted at the business, suffering repeated blows to the head and stab wounds to the abdomen.
Two men, Joshua Robert Searston and Dewald De Klerk, were identified in court as the alleged killers. Their matters remain before the courts and were unresolved at the time of reporting. David Lee Tan was not found criminally responsible for causing Walsh’s death, but the court accepted that he became involved after the killing.
Evidence presented during sentencing showed that Tan assisted in cleaning the premises following the assault, using chemicals to remove blood. He then participated in discussions about how to dispose of Walsh’s body. The court heard that Walsh’s body was placed into a pit at the business, covered with a metal grate, and then encased in concrete. Oil and perfume were used in an attempt to mask the smell, which had become noticeable despite earlier efforts to clean the area. Bloodstained clothing linked to the incident was burned, and Tan purchased cement and other materials used in the concealment.
Walsh’s remains were discovered in March 2022, encased in concrete at the Coopers Plains business. In sentencing remarks, Supreme Court Justice Frances Williams described the treatment of Walsh’s body as horrific and heinous, stressing that assisting in the concealment of a murder was a very serious criminal offence. Walsh’s father addressed the court through a victim impact statement, speaking of enduring grief and acknowledging that no sentence could undo the loss of his son.
The Death of Lachlan James Griffiths
Just months later, a second death occurred at the same premises. Lachlan James Griffiths, also aged 35, was last seen alive in the early hours of 17 January 2022 when he arrived at Tan’s Coopers Plains business.
The court was told that Griffiths had been lured to the premises under the guise of a drug deal. Justice Frances Williams found that a plan had developed involving David Lee Tan, Billy Lee Bornstein, and Filip Grbavac to isolate Griffiths and make him vulnerable. The plan was described in court as a form of vigilante justice connected to allegations raised by Grbavac about Griffiths harming a member of his family.
Grbavac was identified as the person who carried out the fatal assault. Tan did not strike Griffiths, and the court accepted that he was not the primary aggressor. However, evidence showed that Tan was present during the assault, supported Grbavac, and assisted in cleaning the scene afterward.
Photographs recovered from Tan’s phone showed Griffiths’ body wrapped in plastic. Additional images captured blood covering the walls of the room where the violence occurred. Griffiths’ remains have never been found.
The Impact on Lachlan Griffiths’ Family
The absence of Lachlan Griffiths’ body has caused lasting anguish for his family. During the sentencing hearing, his mother broke down as she described being shown photographs of her son’s body. She told the court that the experience was beyond what any parent should have to endure and beyond her understanding of how people could treat one another in such a way.
Griffiths’ brother addressed the court, condemning Tan for the pain inflicted on their family and stating that no amount of time in prison would ever erase the damage done. Outside court, the family said that while sentencing marked the end of one chapter in the legal process, it did not bring closure. They vowed to continue searching for Lachlan and to support one another through their grief.
David Lee Tan’s Role at the Coopers Plains Premises
Evidence before the Supreme Court established that David Lee Tan was not a peripheral figure but a central presence at the Coopers Plains business during both periods of offending. He operated the premises and was living there at the time the crimes occurred. The court accepted that Tan had control over the site where both Andrew Christopher Walsh and Lachlan James Griffiths were killed.
In both cases, Tan’s involvement extended beyond passive awareness. In relation to Walsh’s death, the court heard that Tan actively assisted in cleaning blood from the premises and participated in discussions about concealing the body. In the Griffiths matter, Tan was present at the business when the fatal assault occurred and later helped clean the scene.
Justice Frances Williams rejected any suggestion that Tan’s role was incidental, instead finding that his actions showed awareness, cooperation, and continued assistance across both incidents. The court concluded that his control of the premises facilitated the commission of the crimes and enabled efforts to conceal them.
Evidence Considered by the Supreme Court
During sentencing, the Supreme Court considered a wide range of evidence relating to David Lee Tan’s conduct. This included forensic findings from the Coopers Plains premises, photographs recovered from Tan’s mobile phone, text messages exchanged before and after Lachlan Griffiths’ death, and purchases made following Andrew Walsh’s killing.
Photographs found on Tan’s phone showed Griffiths’ body wrapped in plastic, as well as images of blood covering the walls of the room where the assault took place. In the Walsh matter, evidence included the discovery of the body encased in concrete and details about the pit used to conceal it. The court also heard evidence that oil and perfume were used in an attempt to mask odours and that bloodstained clothing was destroyed.
Justice Williams relied on this evidence to assess Tan’s level of responsibility, finding that his conduct demonstrated deliberate steps to conceal crimes rather than panic or confusion.
Personal Circumstances Raised During Sentencing
During submissions on sentence, Tan’s defence presented information about his personal circumstances at the time of the offences. The court was told that Tan was heavily involved with drugs, experiencing a marital breakdown, and living an unstable and isolated lifestyle at his business premises.
Supporting references from Tan’s family were tendered, along with a letter of apology written by Tan. These factors were presented to explain his decision-making and vulnerability during the period in question. While Justice Williams acknowledged these circumstances, she found that they did not reduce Tan’s responsibility or the seriousness of his conduct.
Other Individuals Connected to the Case
Billy Lee Bornstein pleaded guilty to manslaughter for his role in Lachlan Griffiths’ death. The court found that Bornstein helped lure Griffiths to the business but did not take part in the fatal assault. Bornstein apologised to the Griffiths family and said he never intended to cause harm. He was sentenced to nine years in prison and will be eligible for parole in November 2028.
Filip Grbavac, who had been charged with Griffiths’ murder, died in prison in 2024 following an alleged assault by his cellmate.
Another man, Francesco’s Sebastian Giorgi, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm and deprivation of liberty for his involvement in the events surrounding Griffiths’ death. He was sentenced to two years and six months imprisonment, granted immediate parole, and placed on probation.
Judicial Assessment of Responsibility and Culpability
In her sentencing remarks, Justice Frances Williams carefully distinguished between those who inflicted fatal violence and those who enabled and concealed it. While acknowledging that David Lee Tan did not deliver the fatal blows in either death, the judge found that his responsibility remained serious and substantial.
The court determined that Tan’s involvement in Lachlan Griffiths’ death was more serious than in the Walsh matter due to his support for Filip Grbavac and his presence during the assault. His conduct was described as calculated rather than spontaneous, with repeated dishonesty used to obscure what had occurred.
Justice Williams stated that Tan’s actions prolonged the suffering of the victims’ families, particularly in the case of Griffiths, whose remains have never been found. The judge concluded that Tan’s lack of genuine remorse and his repeated efforts to cover his tracks justified a significant custodial sentence.
Sentence and Parole Eligibility
David Lee Tan was sentenced to a total of 15 years and six months imprisonment for his involvement in the deaths of Lachlan Griffiths and Andrew Christopher Walsh. He will be eligible for parole after serving nine years and six months, with parole eligibility falling in September 2031.
The sentence reflected the combined seriousness of the manslaughter conviction and the offence of being an accessory after the fact to murder.
The Broader Significance of the Coopers Plains Case
The Coopers Plains case has left an enduring impact on all those connected to it. For the families of the victims, the court process delivered accountability under the law but not peace. The continued absence of Lachlan Griffiths’ remains ensures that grief and uncertainty remain part of everyday life.
For David Lee Tan, the sentence marks a permanent turning point. His name is now inseparably linked to one of Brisbane’s most confronting criminal cases. The court made clear that while he did not deliver the fatal blows, his choices enabled violence, prolonged suffering, and obstructed justice.
The case stands as a stark reminder of how secrecy, criminal association, and misplaced loyalty can turn ordinary places into scenes of irreversible tragedy, leaving consequences that extend far beyond the courtroom.
Conclusion
The case of David Lee Tan stands as one of the most confronting examples of how criminal conduct can unfold behind the façade of ordinary life. What occurred at the Coopers Plains business was not the result of a single moment of violence, but a sequence of decisions that allowed harm to occur and truth to be concealed. While Tan did not inflict the fatal injuries that killed Andrew Christopher Walsh and Lachlan James Griffiths, the Supreme Court made clear that his actions before and after both deaths were critical to the outcomes that followed.
Through the court’s findings, a clear picture emerged of a man who exercised control over the premises, remained present during key moments, and took deliberate steps to clean crime scenes, dispose of evidence, and mislead authorities. These actions extended the suffering of the victims’ families, particularly in the case of Lachlan Griffiths, whose remains have never been recovered and whose family continues to live with unanswered questions.
The sentence imposed reflected the seriousness of enabling violence and concealing murder, even where the offender is not the primary aggressor. For the families of the victims, the legal process delivered accountability but not closure. For David Lee Tan, it marked a permanent rupture from his former life and a future defined by imprisonment and judicial findings that will not fade with time.
The Coopers Plains case serves as a stark reminder that silence, loyalty to the wrong people, and attempts to hide wrongdoing can deepen tragedy rather than contain it. Its legacy lies not only in the sentence handed down, but in the lasting impact on those left behind and the enduring lesson that concealment can be as destructive as violence itself.
FAQs
Who is David Lee Tan?
David Lee Tan is a Brisbane business owner who was convicted in the Queensland Supreme Court for his role in two deaths at a Coopers Plains business premises. He pleaded guilty to manslaughter and to being an accessory after the fact to murder.
What crimes was David Lee Tan convicted of?
Tan was convicted of the manslaughter of Lachlan James Griffiths in January 2022 and of being an accessory after the fact to the murder of Andrew Christopher Walsh in November 2021.
Was David Lee Tan the person who killed the victims?
No. The court found that Tan did not inflict the fatal injuries in either case. However, he was present during key events and assisted in cleaning crime scenes and concealing evidence after both deaths.
Where did the crimes take place?
Both deaths occurred at a business depot operated by Tan in Coopers Plains, a suburb in Brisbane’s south.
What happened to Andrew Christopher Walsh?
Andrew Walsh, aged 35, was killed on 8 November 2021 after being violently assaulted at the Coopers Plains business. His body was later found encased in concrete in March 2022.
What happened to Lachlan James Griffiths?
Lachlan Griffiths, aged 35, was lured to the Coopers Plains premises on 17 January 2022 and was fatally assaulted. His remains have never been found.
What sentence did David Lee Tan receive?
David Lee Tan was sentenced to a total of 15 years and six months imprisonment for his involvement in both deaths. He will be eligible for parole in September 2031.
Why is the case considered significant in Queensland?
The case is significant due to the brutality of the crimes, the concealment of one body in concrete, the continued absence of another victim’s remains, and the court’s findings about enabling violence and obstructing justice.
