Michael Purse murder trial derailed again because police still haven’t found body
A murder trial derailed by a secret document has been knocked off course again – because the victim’s body still can’t be found.
Police & Courts
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Police have still not located the body of slain man Michael Purse – despite the assistance of his self-confessed killers – further derailing the trial of his sole remaining accused murderer.
On Friday, prosecution and defence counsel asked the Supreme Court to set the case of Mark-Bry Leedham down for trial.
A start date of August was suggested, but prosecutor Michael Foundas said he would prefer “a slightly later date”.
“The only difficulty with August is there are other inquiries being made with regard to the location (of Mr Purse),” he said.
Chief Justice Chris Kourakis said that posed problems of its own.
“It will not be ‘slightly later’, it will be a fair while later if you can’t take August,” he said.
Mr Leedham, 26, has pleaded not guilty to allegations he murdered Mr Purse at Kilburn in April 2021.
Two other men, Edwin James Hinrichsen and David Graham Young, pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter on what was to be the first day of the trio’s trial.
Their pleas and a secret prosecution document, which was to be destroyed after reading, saw Mr Leedham’s trial vacated without a new start date being set.
Last month, police renewed their search for Mr Purse’s body.
The Advertiser understands that search arose from Young and Hinrichsen’s admissions, and that prosecutors accepted their manslaughter pleas on a conditional basis.
That condition was information would be provided to police that would assist in locating Mr Purse’s body.
However, police would not be drawn on where the information had come from, saying only that it was “credible”.
On Thursday, David Moen, for Mr Leedham, said his client wanted his trial heard by a judge in the absence of a jury.
“We say the trial will take about seven to eight days,” he said.
Chief Justice Kourakis remanded Mr Leedham in custody to stand trial in March 2024.
Meanwhile, next week’s scheduled sentencing submissions for Young and Hinrichsen have been postponed until August while police continue their inquiries.
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