Devonport court: Murder accused faces court after young mum’s death

The man accused of murdering a young mother in Tasmania’s north west last month has faced court and entered a plea to a single charge of murder. LATEST >>

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The man accused of murdering a young mother in Ulverstone last month has entered a plea of not guilty to a single charge of murder.

Colin William Drake, 35, appeared in the Devonport Magistrates Court via video link.

Drake had been in custody since June 16 — the day after the body of 23-year-old Gabbie Marshall, from Queensland, was found stabbed to death in a house in Main St Ulverstone.

Gabbie Marshall, 23.

Police and family said at the time that Ms Marshall had been staying with a friend and was looking to start a new life in the North West Tasmanian town.

Drake has been committed to stand trial in the Burnie Supreme Court on August 30.

He is being represented by Devonport lawyer Lee Edwards.

More court news

Ex-Ulverstone RSL club manager released from jail on parole

THE former Ulverstone RSL club manager, who almost forced the club’s closure after he stole about $170,000 from its coffers, has been released from Risdon Prison after more than a year in custody and repaying the money he’d “frittered away”.

This week, the Parole Board of Tasmania published its decision to release Jason Aaron Lee D’Monte, noting the qualified accountant had repaid the money he’d fraudulently diverted into his possession.

D’Monte was twice seen dumping a shopping trolley full of lever arch binders into a skip at the rear of the club to destroy business and accounting records before police began investigating in October 2014.

While sentencing in April last year, Supreme Court acting judge David Porter said “things fell apart” for D’Monte when his wife became suddenly and seriously unwell.

He pleaded guilty to six counts of fraud as a clerk or servant and one count of stealing and was jailed for two years and three months, with a non-parole period of half that time that expired in May this year.

In its decision, the parole board said D’Monte had gone down what he described as “a frightening path of executing deception upon deception against his employer” and falsifying audit reports in order to cover that deception.

“There does not readily appear a motivation for the conduct, no significant debt, gambling issues nor the living of an excessive lifestyle that would explain the applicant’s actions,” the board said.

“He professes regret at his offending and confidence that it will not be repeated. In this context it is noted that the applicant admitted his conduct upon detection and paid the compensation order made by the court to recoup the moneys fraudulently diverted.”

The board said he’d been classified as minimum security in prison, worked as a leading hand in the kitchen and had been described as a “positive example of good behaviour to other workers”.

Acting Justice Porter last year noted the club had assessed its financial situation as “dire” after the crime, initially thinking it would have to close amid debts of $100,000.

But the club was lent money by the Ulverstone RSL Sub Branch and given contributions by 10 of its members, so was able to pay its liabilities and continue to trade, he said.

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Originally published as Devonport court: Murder accused faces court after young mum’s death