Martin John Wheeler never got over his sister’s murder, mum says

A man who drowned while on the run from Rockhampton police purportedly never got over his sister’s murder.

The death of Martin Wheeler, who is believed to have drowned after jumping into Rockhampton’s Fitzroy River while on the run from police, isn’t the first fatal tragedy to strike his family.

His older sister, Lara Ashcroft, 23 at the time, was murdered by her former partner Stephen Wayne Robson.

Lara was strangled and ran over by Robson on April 7, 2001, on the Rockhampton-Yeppoon Road.

Robson was a self-confessed conman and known gambler and owed $45,000 and had lured to her a motel by telling her he had her money.

Lara Ashcroft

Lara had been awarded $50,000 in a workplace injury claim some time earlier.

Marty was 14 at the time of her murder.

Robson was convicted of murder and served 15 years as a high-security prisoner at Capricornia Correctional Centre and was released in 2016 on parole.

At the time Robson was released to live in Emerald and Lara (and Marty’s mum) ran petitions, wrote to the government and spoke to media that Robson shouldn’t be released, or be able to live so close.

Her petition worked and Robson moved up north.

Martin Wheeler ran a tree lopping business, Wheeler Tree Services.

Following Marty’s death, his Mum has told media that Marty never got over the trauma of his sister’s death and he had run from police because he was afraid of them.

She says he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder 18 months ago and always had on and off unstable romantic relationships.

At the time of his death he was living in a caravan parked in his mum’s front yard.

His mum said he had gone to get a hair cut on Thursday afternoon when he was spotted by police as he had an outstanding warrant.

He was known to panic and just run when he saw police as as he was “scared” of them.

Martin Wheeler at work in his tree lopping business.

Marty had fled from police a few hundred metres away on East Street on the night of Thursday October 19, just before 6pm.

He was last seen jumping into the river and was reportedly sighted in distress and called out for help while treading water.

He was not seen coming back to the bank.

A search and rescue was immediately deployed that night and was conducted over the next two days and three nights with the assistance of police, including divers from Brisbane, RACQ Capricorn Rescue, coastguard, SES personnel and wildlife rangers.

His body was discovered on Saturday night, October 21, around 11pm.

Mr Wheeler, known as “Marty” to friends, had his own business, Wheeler Tree Services, doing all sorts of services from tree lopping, tree removal, stump grinding, pruning, lawn care and emergency and storm damage.

He had also worked as a groundsperson, maintenance man and cleaner at Stanwell Power Station and attended North Rockhampton State High School.

His social media is filled with posts of pitbulls, which he had faced court over in 2010.

It was reported at the time, Marty’s two dogs attacked a woman on Horton Street, North Rockhampton in September 2009, and she received severe injuries which required her to have 60 stainless steel clips inserted and 20 stitches.

Rockhampton Regional Council seized and put down the two dogs.

He was convicted of three charges of failing to ensure his dogs did not attack.

In 2018 Martin was given a 15 month probation for charges related to possessing marijuana and utensils.

His lawyer at the time said he smoked marijuana due to the “traumatic impact of his sister‘s murder years ago and recent lock up of his dogs in the pound”.