Fireplace skeleton murder case: Defence lawyer says prosecution’s case ‘extraordinarily weak, non-existent’
THE defence lawyer for the man accused of murdering his relative Martin Meffert and leaving the remains in a Terowie fireplace has made an astonishing claim in court.
THE accused has been sitting in Terowie “available for interrogation” since his relative’s partial skeleton was found in 2013 — but police are yet to do so, a court has heard.
On Thursday, the man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared in the Port Pirie Magistrates Court via video from the Port Augusta Prison after being charged with the 2005 murder of his 23-year-old relative Martin Meffert.
John Voumard, for the defence, told Magistrate Rodney Oates that the prosecution case against his client was “weak”.
“The case against the defendant, on the information that has been provided, is extraordinarily weak — one might say non-existent,” he said.
“The defendant has always maintained his innocence.
“He’s been sitting there available for interrogation all these years and that has not been undertaken and defence has not been provided with any new evidence as a result of his arrest last Friday that would support the charge.”
He said the home detention address the defendant had nominated was not in Terowie or the greater region.
“There is no prospect of the defendant interfering with any ongoing police investigation.
“There’s no new material that has been provided that links the defendant to any act resulting in the death of the deceased.
“The only new piece of information that I have been provided with falls incredibly short of anything that would amount to a prima facie case.
“The mere fact that he’s been charged with a serious offence, he could have been charged with this offence some years ago, doesn’t deny him to be released on bail pending the progression of the matter through the courts.”
Police prosecutor Sergeant Lorne Matthews said all forms of bail, including home detention, was opposed by police.
He said the prosecution case had grown in strength since Mr Meffert “disappeared off the radar” in 2005.
“It’s very difficult for me to go into great detail at this juncture, I don’t even have a preliminary brief before me but … they are allegations of murder,” he said.
“This has been investigated over a number of years, most notably in 2013 and further investigations more recently, which did include a much more public appeal.
“It has allowed us to build a much stronger Crown case which has lead to the arrest of the defendant.
“Because of the nature of the allegation, because of the small community in which the investigation encompasses, because of the age of the investigation — we’re talking about want of a common phrase, cold case — we’re asking the defendant not be released into the (Terowie) community.”
Magistrate Oates ordered a home detention assessment report before adjourning the matter to later this month.
Court documents allege the accused killed Mr Meffert between February 8 and October 31, 2005, at Terowie, 226km north of Adelaide.
Despite being 16 at the time, he will be tried as an adult after a decision by Director of Public Prosecutions Adam Kimber SC.
Detectives believe Mr Meffert’s close relatives made fortnightly BankSA withdrawals — siphoning between $570 and $700 from his account each time — after impersonating him, answering personal security questions and even crudely forging his signature.
More than $136,000 was allegedly stolen over more than eight years.
It ended on October 24, 2013, when police found Mr Meffert’s remains during a routine firearms investigation of a neighbour.
The body was buried at another location before being exhumed for mysterious reasons.
A $200,000 reward is available for helping police recover the rest of Mr Meffert’s remains.