Legal Aid lawyers seek psychiatric report for Matthew James Cox

A case against a husband accused of killing his wife and 11-week-old baby girl almost 18 months continues to be held up with accused Matthew Cox excused for the next court date. Find out why.

Dad Matthew Cox has been charged with the alleged murder of his wife Tayla and their 11-week-old baby Murphy.

Lawyers for a man accused of killing his wife and 11-week-old baby in Rockhampton before flying to Brisbane are still pushing for funding for a special report, almost 18 months after the alleged murders took place.

Matthew James Cox is charged with the murders of Tayla Black, 30, and their 11-week-old daughter, Murphy Margaret.

Police will allege the 31-year-old left work early on Tuesday, August 8, 2023, and stabbed his wife and baby in their Bean St, Park Avenue home.

They will further allege Mr Cox flew to Brisbane and attended the Fortitude Valley Police Station which led officers to conduct a welfare check at the Rockhampton home where the bodies of Tayla and Murphy were discovered inside.

Matthew James Cox is charged with the murders of Tayla Black, 30, and their 11-week-old daughter, Murphy Margaret.

Mr Cox’s murder charges were mentioned in Rockhampton Magistrates Court on Wednesday afternoon, February 26.

Defence lawyer Sean Gibbs advised the court in December that Legal Aid lawyers handling Mr Cox’s case had submitted an application for funding for a psychiatric report.

This week, he advised that the funding request was now in the “review process”.

Tayla Black and her 11-week-old daughter Murphy Margaret were allegedly murdered.

This comes after defence lawyer Felicity Davis advised the court in September that she would be going to Brisbane mid-November with counsel to get the finalised committal instructions from Mr Cox in person when they visited him in the southeast Queensland jail where he was on remand.

Mr Cox’s appearance was excused for the next mention on March 26.

He has not entered pleas and cannot apply for bail in the magistrates court because of the seriousness of his charges.