Sue Duffy alleged murder: Portmoresbey Cecil’s charge heads to Supreme Court

The case against an estranged son-in-law charged with the stabbing murder of a Rockhampton matriarch has returned to court. LATEST.

Sue Duffy was allegedly murdered by her estranged son-in-law Portmoresbey Cecil in August 2022 in her Allenstown residence.

Loved ones of a slain Rockhampton grandmother will have to wait six months to find out the man charged with her stabbing murder will go to trial.

Allenstown’s Sue Duffy, 71, died in August, 21, allegedly at the hands of her estranged son-in-law Portmoresbey ‘BJ’ Cecil.

Police will allege Mrs Duffy sustained “substantial injuries” caused by a “bladed instrument”.

Rockhampton Magistrates Court heard an update in the case this week.

Defence lawyer Rebecca Harris informed the court the murder charge was committed to the higher courts on October 26 and asked that all other charges be adjourned for a significant period.

Mr Cecil, 36, has not entered a plea to any of his charges before the courts.

During a previous update to the court, on May 31, Mr Cagney said there was still a DNA statement outstanding.

Police prosecutor Sergeant David Longhurst produced a letter from a forensic scientist advising the court that this case “was wrapped up in the commission for re-examination”.

The commission of inquiry into Queensland’s DNA laboratory, which was held after The Australian’s podcast Shandee’s Story investigation into the murder of Shandee Blackburn in 2013, raised concerns about forensic examination procedures in Queensland.

Issues included a controversial decision in 2018 to stop testing DNA samples below a certain threshold and instead incorrectly report them to the police and courts as being DNA insufficient, or DIFP.

More than 1800 false witness statements in at least 1260 court cases were made by the troubled Queensland Health Forensic and Scientific Services on whether DNA had been detected.

Commissioner Walter Sofronoff KC made more than 100 recommendations in his 500-page report.

There was no mention about where the DNA report was – whether it was still outstanding or had been received by prosecution and provided to Mr Cecil’s defence team – during the November update.

Other cases in the higher courts have been advised to list a matter for trial and their outstanding DNA tests and reports will be prioritised to be completed in time for a trial, with one hearing mid-October not to list a trial in 2023 as the scandal-plagued forensics laboratory already had priority cases that will take them until the end of the year to complete.

Mr Cecil’s other charges – one count of possessing property suspected having being used in a drug offence, one of possessing a dangerous drug and one of wilful damage – were adjourned February 14.