Alleged axe attack victim Jonathon Hawtin speaks after accused kill plot mum fronts court

The alleged victim of accused murder plot mum Lisa Lines has told of his hurt – and relief his children are safe “after six long years”.

The tetraplegic alleged victim of multiple kill plots has spoken of the “cruel and exhausting struggle” he has faced since he was attacked with an axe – allegedly at the behest of his former partner.

Jonathon Hawtin, 36, was allegedly attacked in the garage of the Littlehampton home he had previously shared with his former wife, Lisa Margaret Lines, who was extradited back to Australia last week from the tiny Pacific island nation of Palau.

In a statement released after Ms Lines appeared in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Monday, Mr Hawtin said he was “profoundly relieved” his children were safe “after six long years”.

“This has been a cruel and exhausting struggle, my mother and I have been through hell, but we never gave up and we never would have,” he said.

“The events of this past week are the culmination of years of hard work and a determined effort on the part of SAPOL‘s Major Crime Branch.

Lisa Lines escorted by police after being extradited back to Australia on charges of attempted murder of her husband. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Kelly Barnes

Alleged murder plot viction Jonathon Hawtin. Picture: Mark Brake)

“The complexity of this operation is hard to overstate, and what they have achieved – working across international jurisdictions and co-ordinating with numerous other agencies — deserves special recognition.

“I cannot begin to express my gratitude to those members of SAPOL, who had the moral courage and strength of character, to step up and do what they could.

“My family still faces a lot of challenges ahead. These new challenges will require an equally committed effort, as we work to pick up the pieces and rebuild a childhood for my children.”

Mr Hawtin also stressed he was not in a relationship with Ms Lines at the time he was allegedly attacked.

Ms Lines is charged with two counts of attempting to murder Mr Hawtin and two counts of conspiracy to murder.

Her then lover, Zacharia Bruckner is charged with one count of attempted murder, over the alleged axe attack, and two counts of conspiracy to murder.

It is alleged they also planned to have Mr Hawtin and his mother killed through the use of an undercover police officer who posed as a hitman.

Ms Lines appeared in the Court 2 dock flanked by four sheriffs and Letiticia Fortune who is jointly charged with Ms Lines for only one of the attempts to murder Mr Hawtin, allegedly while he lay paralysed and recovering after the axe attack at Hampstead Rehabilitation Centre in January 2018.

During the hearing, in which Ms Lines sought release on home detention bail, the court heard Ms Lines left Australia and travelled to Thailand, then on to Taiwan. She had also secured citizenship and a passport from Vanuatu.

Martin Hinton KC, prosecuting, told the court Ms Lines had fled to those countries with the two children she shared with Mr Hawtin to remain “beyond the reaches” of Australian authorities because none of those countries share extradition treaties with Australia.

“Whilst overseas she managed to secure herself, by virtue of financial payment, passports and citizenship in the country Vanuatu.

“The information available to police demonstrates that she is acutely aware of the power of Australian authorities to have her returned to the jurisdiction. Hence, she parks herself in Taiwan where there is no extradition treaty and had arranged that citizenship with Vanuatu.

“It was quite fortuitous that the authorities discovered that she intended to travel to Palau and were able to at that time to be there waiting for her with the assistance of the authorities in Palau.”

Mr Hinton said the prosecution will allege that while Ms Lines was overseas she had conspired with Mr Bruckner to secure the services of a hitman to “finish the job” in an alleged plot to kill Mr Hawtin and his mother.

“Little did they know that the person with whom they were speaking, whose services they were attempting to enlist, was an undercover police officer,” he said.

Craig Caldicott, for Ms Lines, said his client would be pleading not guilty and denied the allegations.

Lisa Lines after her arrest in Palau. Picture: Supplied

Letiticia Fortune. Picture: Supplied

He said it was disputed Ms Lines had obtained a passport and citizenship to Vanuatu and said she had been in the midst of planning her return to Australia at the time of her arrest.

Mr Caldicott told the court Ms Lines had travelled to Thailand but “simply did not return” rather than fled.

“She received threats while she was overseas in Thailand and she fled from there away from that jurisdiction,” he said.

“She was concerned for her safety and the safety of her children hence why she went to Taiwan.”

Mr Caldicott urged the court to release her on bail to live with her mother to be able to regularly see her children.

Magistrate John Wells refused Ms Lines release on bail due to the seriousness of the allegations and because she “remains an unacceptable flight risk”.

Andrew Williams, for Ms Fortune, also asked his client be release his client on bail.

He said Ms Fortune had been interviewed about the allegations in 2018 but had not heard anything since.

“These matters essentially disappeared into the ether,” he said.

He said his client had a stable job and could provide stable accommodation and two guarantors to secure release on bail.

Mr Hinton told the court it was the prosecution’s case Ms Fortune had been spotted outside Mr Hawtin’s room at Hampstead with a “bag and a pillow”, but Mr Williams said that allegation was not contained in the summary he had been provided with.

Mr Wells ordered a home detention report and ordered Ms Fortune return to court for a continuing application for bail next week.

“Mr Hinton on that day it would be helpful if you could provide more information about the link between Ms Lines and Ms Fortune and more material about those messages and what you say they indicate,” he said.