Man who kept bones of Martin Meffert in fireplace jailed for life for murder — but time to serve undecided
A man has been sentenced to life for murdering another man and using his Centrelink money — but because he was a teenager at the time, the court is in new territory.
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- Man pleads guilty to cold-case murder of Martin Meffert
- Remains of Martin Meffert found at Tereowie property
A man has been given a life sentence for the long-unsolved murder of Martin Meffert — but he was a child at the time, which could decide how long he spends behind bars.
On Monday the man, 30, appeared in the Supreme Court and pleaded guilty to murdering Mr Meffert — whose bones were found in a Terowie fireplace in 2013 — between February and October 2005.
At that time he was a youth, meaning The Advertiser is legally prohibited from naming him — it also creates a potential issue for the court in sentencing.
State law was rewritten in 2013 to ensure teenage murderers serve at least 20 years in jail, as do adults, but Mr Meffert’s death pre-dates those amendments.
Scott Henchcliffe SC, for the man, told Justice David Peek he had yet to “drill down” into the legislation and decide whether to pursue the issue on his client’s behalf.
“He was a child at the time of the offence, and we would seem to be caught by the 20-year minimum (sentence) rule that exists now,” he said.
“However I don’t know that there has been a case, testing that amendment to the law, since 2013.
“Before the next hearing, we will speak to the prosecution and Your Honour as to whether this is an issue we will agitate, or whether we just accept the law.”
Mr Meffert was last seen alive on February 8, 2005 — up to 40 per cent of his remains were found by police in a bag in the fireplace of a Terowie home on October 24, 2013.
Analysis suggested the remains had been buried and had sustained here extensive blunt force skull fractures — in particular nine visible fractures — from multiple impacts.
Between those dates, the murderer withdrew $136,483 from Mr Meffert’s bank account.
When Mr Meffert’s pension was stopped in October 2005, the killer assumed his identify to falsely have it reactivated and was heard to brag, to friends, about having two Centrelink accounts.
Previously, prosecutors alleged Mr Meffert’s remains were seen by multiple witnesses in a number of locations between 2005 and 2013.
The murderer, they alleged, “took out a box and showed” a witness “something like a show and tell (saying) ‘look what I’ve got’, and it was a human skull”.
On Monday, Justice Peek said there was no reason the man’s mandatory life sentence could not start immediately.
“You’ve heard the proceedings thus far, you’ve confirmed in this court your plea of guilty to murder,” he said.
“Consequently, I’m now required to and I do pass the sentence of this court in that you be sentenced to life.”
Mr Henchcliffe asked for time to not only consider his client’s legal position but also arrange for psychological assessment.
Justice Peek agreed.
“This is a matter that does not have to be a rush because this man is obviously going to be in jail for a very substantial period,” he said.
He remanded the man in custody for sentencing submissions, including victim impact statements, in March.