Accused murderer Lee Paul Streng released on bail as pathology report finds death of Louise Hughes inside Park Holme house ‘inconclusive’

A man who allegedly murdered a beloved mother has been released on bail, as a court heard her own intoxication may have been a cause of death.

An accused murderer has been released on bail after a post mortem report into the death of mother-of-two Louise Hughes came back “inconclusive” and found her own intoxication may have been a cause, a court has heard.

Lee Paul Streng, 33, appeared in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Monday charged with the murder of Glengowrie mother-of-two Louise Hughes, who was found unresponsive inside a house at Candada Ave, Park Holme, in September last year.

Stacey Carter, for Mr Streng, asked the court to dismiss the charge against her client. She said she had not opposed an earlier adjournment for the return of a pathologist report but opposed the two-week delay prosecutors now sought for an addendum report from a pathologist before making a determination about whether the murder charge would proceed.

“The report has come back and the report appears to suggest that the cause of death is inconclusive,” she said.

“One of the possible outcomes of the report is that the victim’s level of intoxication on its own could potentially be one of the causes of death.”

Louise Hughes died at a Park Holme home – her cause of death remains unclear. Picture: Supplied

Alleged murder victim Louise Hughes. Picture supplied by her family

She said police subsequently emailed her last week indicating they sought an extra adjournment to notify Ms Hughes’ family about the report.

“Given the length of delay and given that we were amenable to allowing the police the additional time and still no charge determination has been made … I am applying for the charge to be dismissed,” she said.

“I don’t consent to that additional two weeks. I am obviously in possession of the current pathologist report and it would be very hard to substantiate any charge of murder against Mr Streng.”

She said the prosecutor in the DPP’s office who was reviewing the file was “very skilled, very experienced and had made it clear that a charge determination could not be made based on the evidence thus far”.

Lee Paul Streng has been charged with the murder of Louise Hughes – however her cause of death remains unclear, a court has heard. Picture Mark Brake

She asked the court to release her client on bail to his mother’s address if the court instead granted the adjournment. She said he was living at the address on bail for other matters at the time of his arrest for murder.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Trent Matijevic said the two-week adjournment was sought to obtain a report providing further information including a clearer time of Ms Hughes’ death.

He asked the court not to release Mr Streng to his mother’s home because a neighbour was a prosecution witness.

Magistrate Karim Soetratma granted Mr Streng release on supervised bail with conditions including he must report to police each day and is subject to an overnight curfew.

Supporters of Ms Hughes, 51, were audibly upset during the hearing. Ms Hughes was previously described as a “lovely person” who was one of a kind.

Police have previously said Mr Streng and Ms Hughes knew each other, but were not in a relationship.

Mr Streng returns to court later this month where a decision on whether the charge will proceed is expected to be made.