Lisa Lines, Zacharia Bruckner and Letiticia Fortune face court over alleged attempts to murder Jonathon Hawtin
Lisa Lines is “struggling” in custody after she and her ex-lovers appeared in court charged over a bizarre series of alleged plots to kill her ex-husband.
Police & Courts
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Three people have appeared in court charged over a bizarre series of alleged plots to kill Jonathon Hawtin, with a lawyer flagging a bail application for the alleged instigator.
Lisa Lines, 43, is charged with the attempted murder of Mr Hawtin, alongside her two ex-lovers, Zacharia Bruckner, 36, and Letiticia Fortune, 34.
A prosecutor told the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Monday they had determined the charges against the accused but asked for a six-month adjournment for them to enter their pleas.
The court heard the time was needed for digital devices to be analysed, banking affidavits and forensic accounting reports to be completed and recordings from surveillance devices to be transcribed.
The court has previously heard Mr Hawtin had been rendered a tetraplegic in an earlier attempt on his life, which police allege was orchestrated by Ms Lines and Mr Bruckner.
SA Police allege Ms Lines attempted to murder Mr Hawtin in the Adelaide Hills in October 2017 and then continued to plot to kill him and his mother Rohnda Hawtin using a hit man. She is yet to enter pleas to two counts of attempted murder and two counts of conspiracy to murder.
Some of the charges relate to an incident at Littlehampton in October 2017, during which police allege Ms Lines, and Mr Bruckner attempted to murder Mr Hawtin, 36, in a brutal axe attack. Mr Bruckner is yet to enter pleas to a charge of attempted murder and two counts of conspiracy to murder.
Mr Bruckner was shot and Mr Hawtin, who was left a tetraplegic as a result of his injuries, was charged with attempted murder before being acquitted at trial in 2019.
The case was reopened after crime scene evidence was re-examined and police came to believe Mr Hawtin was the victim.
Ms Lines was arrested on the tiny island of Palau, southeast of the Philippines, in November after police learned she was travelling there and they were able to arrange for her arrest.
At the same time, police arrested Mr Bruckner in Brisbane, while Ms Fortune was arrested about a week later.
Ms Fortune is also yet to enter a plea to attempted murder.
On Monday, after counsel opposed the lengthy adjournment, Magistrate Simon Smart said he was conscious that two accused were in custody and adjourned the charges until August.
Craig Caldicott, for Ms Lines, flagged a bail application for his client would be forthcoming.
Outside court, Mr Caldicott told media Ms Lines was “struggling” in custody and said he hadn’t received some of the “crucial evidence”.
“I would have assumed that it’s a priority case for the detectives and also the DPP but for some reason it’s not,” he said.
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