Dorothy Britton murder: Adrian Britton speaks out after murder accused set free

The family of Dorothy Britton, who was shot in the head, feel the justice system has let them down as her cold case slips back into the unsolved files.

The family of a slain Airlie Beach woman feel “let down” by the justice system following the not guilty verdict of her son in her murder trial, as her cold case now slips back into the unsolved files.

It has been six months since the former suspect in the cold case murder of Jubilee Pocket woman Dorothy Britton walked free after a jury acquittal, but her family are still coming to grips with the fact they may never have justice.

The grandmother had been sitting on her bed, dressed in her nightgown folding laundry when she was shot to death by an unknown person on or about March 6, 1996.

Dorothy Britton was murdered in the bedroom of her Jubilee Pocket home.

Blood was splattered on the walls, smeared on the floor and pieces of bone were lodged in the wall of the main bedroom inside the Timberland Rd home.

The man police had accused of this heinous crime was her son, Christopher Britton.

Charges were laid in June 2018, 22 years after Dorothy’s daughter-in-law Maxine Britton made the horrifying discovery.

And in June 2021, after a two-week trial in Mackay Supreme Court, he was found not guilty of murder.

“Ultimately we felt, I guess, let down by the system,” Dorothy’s son Adrian Britton told this publication six months on.

“It’s more about what we considered to be playing the game of chess between the defence and the prosecution.”

Police confirmed Christopher was their only suspect and the case would now return to the unsolved files since his acquittal.

“At the end of the day we’ve had to establish that there’s nothing further that we can do,” Adrian said.

“We’ve got nothing, no recourse, we can’t challenge anything from here on forward.

“There was certainly no justice served … (an unknown) individual is responsible for basically destroying our lives … over half our lives.”

Dorothy was last seen alive about 12.30pm on March 6, 1996, she was found dead the next day.

Dorothy Britton's son Adrian Britton, who now lives in Townsville, feels let down by the justice system. Photo: Scott Sawyer

In Christopher’s trial the prosecution had relied on circumstantial and confessional evidence – specifically of three witnesses who claimed Christopher had admitted to killing his mother.

He denied the confessional allegations, that he had any involvement in his mother’s death and ultimately a jury found him not guilty.

“The outcome we were expecting was … the opposite of what occurred,” Adrian, who now lives in Townsville, said.

“It was one of the biggest kicks in the guts anyone could consider after the initial one.”

He and his wife sat enduring the entire trial. “I was most surprised at how some of the witnesses, their credibility was attacked,” Adrian said.

Dorothy Britton was shot in the head as she sat on her bed folding laundry.

“As soon as the trial was finished, we felt virtually worthless and wanted to leave Mackay as soon as we could because there was no comfort in being there,” he said.

But Adrian said they had found a strong support network through the whole ordeal.

“We can’t begin to express how difficult it was,” he said.

“The outcome, well we can’t change that. We’ve got no movement forward, we’ve got no movement back, we’ve just got to settle for it. We’ve got to accept it.”

A Queensland Police Service spokeswoman said the Dorothy Britton murder investigation would “remain an unsolved case within the Cold Case Investigation Team”.

“However there are no other suspects under investigation in relation to this investigation,” she said.

“A government reward of $250,000 remains on offer for information which leads to the apprehension and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the murder.

“Detectives continue reviewing homicide cold cases to bring offenders to justice. Any person with information relating to unsolved murders in Queensland is encouraged to contact Crime Stoppers.”