{"id":694248,"date":"2026-05-25T20:55:24","date_gmt":"2026-05-25T20:55:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/694248\/"},"modified":"2026-05-25T20:55:24","modified_gmt":"2026-05-25T20:55:24","slug":"farm-worker-sentenced-after-fatally-cutting-off-queensland-mans-leg-with-circular-saw","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/694248\/","title":{"rendered":"Farm worker sentenced after fatally cutting off Queensland man\u2019s leg with circular saw"},"content":{"rendered":"

A farm worker found guilty of the manslaughter of a Queensland<\/a> grandfather after amputating his leg with a circular saw has learnt his fate.<\/p>\n

John Yalu, 41, has been sentenced on Monday to nine years in prison for the manslaughter of Kalman Tal, 66, in February 2022 in Innisfail, Far North Queensland.<\/p>\n

He will be eligible for parole in August, having served over four years behind bars since he was arrested over the crime.<\/p>\n

Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today Arrow<\/a><\/p>\n

A jury took less than three hours on Friday<\/a> to find Yalu not guilty of murder, instead finding him guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter.<\/p>\n

The Supreme Court trial in Cairns<\/a> heard shocking allegations of how Tal spent years asking people to amputate his leg, claiming he suffered chronic pain linked to a workplace injury.<\/p>\n

He had appealed to doctors to remove the limb, but they refused his request.<\/p>\n

Yalu agreed to amputate Tal\u2019s leg, saying he believed he was helping relieve Tal\u2019s suffering rather than intending to seriously injure or kill him.<\/p>\n

\"JohnJohn Yalu apologised to Tal\u2019s family before the court. Credit: 7NEWS<\/p>\n

Speaking through an interpreter during sentencing on Monday, Yalu broke down in tears apologising to Tal\u2019s family.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy thoughts right now are with the man\u2019s family,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would just say that what I did, I wanted to help him, but he died from what I did. I was trying to help him.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s why I want to take this opportunity to apologise and say sorry to his family, on behalf of my family, my tribe, my island and my country Vanuatu. I\u2019m very sorry, and that\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"KalmanKalman Tal asked multiple people to help remove his leg, the court heard. Credit: 7NEWS<\/p>\n

The court confirmed Yalu will be deported back to Vanuatu upon his release.<\/p>\n

Victim impact statements from Tal\u2019s son, two brothers and sister were also read out to the court via the prosecution, with his family revealing the trauma of what they had gone through due to the \u201cunusual\u201d death. <\/p>\n

Tal\u2019s brother John Janos Tal said he didn\u2019t understand how \u201csomething so gruesome happened to such a gentle man\u201d.<\/p>\n

His family also\u00a0revealed Tal had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and had stopped taking his medication when he began asking people to remove his leg.<\/p>\n

Amputation took only three minutes<\/p>\n

Prosecutors had earlier alleged that Yalu amputated Tal\u2019s left leg above the ankle using a battery-powered circular saw after agreeing to perform the procedure for a $5000 fee. <\/p>\n

Jurors heard Tal himself brought the battery-powered circular saw to a park in Innisfail. <\/p>\n

The court heard it took about three minutes for Yalu to sever Tal\u2019s lower left leg.<\/p>\n

\"KalmanKalman Tal died from blood loss after his lower leg was amputated above the ankle, jurors were told. Credit: 7NEWS\"TheThe crime scene where Kalman Tal was found dead in Innisfail in 2022. Credit: 7NEWS<\/p>\n

Confronting CCTV footage was shown to jurors allegedly showing the moment the amputation took place and the aftermath of the amateur surgery.<\/p>\n

Jurors were also told attempts to stop the bleeding using sticky tape and plastic shopping bags as makeshift tourniquets were unsuccessful. <\/p>\n

Tal attempted to apply a tourniquet to himself before driving away from the park and contacting emergency services, but died from blood loss, the court heard. <\/p>\n

Possible body dysphoria considered <\/p>\n

After Friday\u2019s verdict, Tal\u2019s family told 7NEWS they believed the grandfather may have suffered from body integrity dysphoria, a rare condition where a person believes part of their anatomy does not belong to them.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe hasn\u2019t been diagnosed with it but we\u2019re just assuming it was that, we did some research,\u201d a family member said at the time. <\/p>\n

Defence barrister Angus Edwards said Tal had been \u201cshopping around\u201d for someone willing to amputate the limb, saying Tal had repeatedly approached strangers asking for help because he was \u201cin pain\u201d and believed \u201cnobody was helping him\u201d. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a debilitating pain, that lasted some four to five years and he couldn\u2019t get help for it,\u201d he told jurors. <\/p>\n

Edwards said Tal organised almost every aspect of the encounter himself and directed parts of the process once the amputation began. <\/p>\n

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