‘Final warning,’ Michael Craig Stanley faces court charged over murder of lover’s ex

A man has been charged with murder after allegedly shooting the ex partner of his new lover on a road and leaving him for dead.

The man who allegedly shot and killed a former partner of the woman he’d been seeing will remain behind bars until at least September, a court has heard.

On Friday, Michael Craig Stanley faced the Port Adelaide Magistrates court charged with the December 2022 murder of 41-year-old Edwardstown father, Glenn Michael Holton.

The court heard Mr Stanley, 44, had begun a relationship with Mr Holton’s former partner and had been residing with her and another man, Jamie Carter, in a home in Morphett Vale, South Australia.

Police allege Mr Stanley, who appeared in court via AVL from custody, shot Mr Holton in the chest on a road in Edwardstown before fleeing the scene.

SA Ambulance were called at around 9.24pm on December 11 last year, where they found Mr Holton already deceased.

He was taken to the Flinders Medical Centre and a 22-calibre bullet was removed from his chest, the court heard.

Glenn Michael Holton, 41, was shot and left to die in December last year. Picture: Facebook

He died after being shot in the chest. Picture: Facebook

On March 2, Mr Carter was also charged with Mr Holton’s murder.

Police prosecutors on Friday opposed Mr Stanley’s bid for bail, emphasising the serious nature of his alleged offending.

“Checks established the victim was in an on-off relationship with (the woman) until recently,” police prosecutors said.

“With respect to the relationship between the victim, (the woman) and the accused, (she) had been continuing to see the victim leading up to this incident and was actually with him on the 11th of December.

“There’s evidence which establishes the accused did not like the victim hanging around.”

Prosecutors said police had previously attended the woman’s address prior to the incident on December 11 after Mr Stanley and the woman had lodged reports against Mr Holton.

“There’s body worn video where the accused states that the victim had been given his final warning,” prosecutors said.

The court also heard text messages between Stanley and the woman described an incident where Mr Holton had spent the night sleeping in a park across from the woman’s house.

Michael Craig Stanley was denied bail. Picture: Kaysee Miller

Aaron Fornarino, for Mr Stanley, asked Magistrate Paul Foley to grant his client bail despite it being the “highest criminal charge possible,” due to the “significant delay” in his court proceedings.

He said it was Mr Stanley’s understanding that the woman had been used as “a punching bag” in her previous relationship, and she would often present to him with bruising.

“Mr Stanley understands (the woman) was in a previous relationship with the victim, and he had only met Mr Holton on two occasions,” Mr Fornarino said.

“One occasion was outside a laundromat where Mr Stanley tried to give (the woman) a hug but she pulled away because Mr Holton was there.

“It is quite far fetched and fanciful that a person who meets another on only two occasions somehow devices or concocts a plan to murder them.

“Mr Stanley denies being anywhere near the area at the time of the murder.”

Mr Foley denied Mr Stanley’s bid for bail, finding the significant wait times and the prosecution’s case were not “special circumstances” to allow him any freedom.

“The charge could not be more serious, and I take that into account in finding that neither of the aspects raised could amount to special circumstances to grant bail,” Mr Foley said.

Mr Stanley will face court again in September alongside his co-accused, Mr Carter.

Originally published as ‘Final warning,’ Michael Craig Stanley faces court charged over murder of lover’s ex