Cold case: Court told artist Dale McCauley was murdered after wanting to back out of joint yacht purchase

WILLUNGA artist Dale McCauley was murdered following a dispute over a joint yacht purchase, a court has heard almost two decades after his death.

WILLUNGA artist Dale McCauley was murdered following a dispute over a joint yacht purchase, a court has heard almost two decades after his death.

His alleged killer, Adrian Mahoney, on Wednesday faced court for the first time since Mr McCauley, 44, went missing 18 years ago.

Court sketch of Adrian Mahoney.

Mr McCauley vanished without a trace leaving his truck, passport and akubra hat — which friends said he would never leave home without — at his Willunga home in January 1998.

Opposing bail, prosecutor Sue Agnew, told the Adelaide Magistrates Court Mahoney, 65, of Seaton, had been charged with murder after DNA advances were able to identify blood found in his son’s car as Mr McCauley’s.

“The deceased and the accused had fallen out and the deceased had wanted to get out of the partnership,” she said.

“The deceased was acting scared and nervous around the accused. The deceased told one of his friends he did not want to be alone on the yacht for a prolonged period of time because the accused was acting was acting erratically and unstable.”

Dale McCauley disappeared from his Willunga home in 1998.

After searching the Willunga property in November, police said they had completed an extensive cold case review into Mr McCauley’s disappearance had identified a person of interest.

Prior to his disappearance, Mr McCauley had only recently returned from Yuendumu in the Northern Territory, where he had been teaching art at an Aboriginal mission.

Mr McCauley had become acquainted with Mahoney while on the mission and had allowed him to stay at his Willunga property on a double-decker bus.

Ms Agnew told the court that after the alleged murder Mahoney had committed forgery to try and sell the 41ft yacht and had left and re-entered Australia about seven times in about 10 years following Mr McCauley’s disappearance.

She also told the court Mahoney had forged a note purporting to be by Mr McCauley, saying he was going to work in the Northern Territory and left it at the Willunga property.

The court was also told in December 1998 Mahoney reported a single barrel shotgun missing, claiming he had lost it in July 1997.

Dale McCauley’s sister Sandra Cole-Stokes outside Adelaide Magistrates Court. Picture: Mark Brake

“The police suspect the 18-month delay in reporting the missing firearms was to disguise its involvement in the murder,” Ms Agnew said.

Both prosecutors and defence agreed the case against Mahoney was purely circumstantial. Mr McCauley’s body has never been found.

Mahoney’s lawyer Tim Blake, said it was still unknown whether Mr McCauley was dead or had disappeared.

“There is a question of whether there is a deceased and whether, on the evidence, whether Mr Mahoney was involved,” he said.

He said Mr Mahoney was not a flight risk and should be released on home detention bail.

Earlier, Mr McCauley’s sister, Sandra Cole-Stokes, made an impassioned plea for information leading to her brother’s body.

Divers searching for Dale McCauley at a nearby dam last year. Picture: Tait Schmaal.

“I do want to find an ending to this, Dale is my younger brother and there are no more brothers and sisters,” she said outside court.

“Our father has passed away; our mother has passed away as well no so I’m the only one that’s left.

Adelaide Magistrate Sue O’Connor ordered a home detention report be prepared before she give further consideration to Mahoney’s bail application next week.