Steven Church: Logan man Paul John Conoley’s murder trial delayed
‘Forensic right’: The legal team representing a Logan homeless man who police allege stomped a Woodridge grandfather to death has drawn a line in the sand in court, to police’s chagrin.
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A committal hearing to determine whether a homeless man charged with killing a Logan grandfather unknown to him by allegedly stomping on his head and then attempting to shovel his body into a wheelie bin, to the horror of passing commuters who called triple-0, has been delayed.
Yesterday in Beenleigh Magistrates Court, six witnesses were to be cross-examined by the defence to determine whether Paul John Conoley, 41, would stand trial for last year’s alleged murder.
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Woodridge grandfather-of-eight Steven Church’s unconscious body was discovered on April 26 last year at about 5am at the intersection of Defiance and North roads at Woodridge. He died on the way to the Princess Alexandra Hospital.
However, the committal was unable to proceed due to Conoley’s admission as an inpatient into the secure unit of the Princess Alexandra Hospital for at least another week.
Magistrate Louise Shephard and police prosecutor Sgt Stephen Cochrane were both keen to proceed with the cross-examination of the six Crown witnesses, but defence lawyer Lars Falcongreen struck out that idea.
“My client has a forensic right to see the manner of witnesses and weigh the case against him and I am not in a position to surrender that,” he told the court.
“I was going to take instructions as the committal goes on.”
Witnesses, which included paramedics and police detectives, were thanked for their appearance and told to go home for another attempt at the committal hearing on September 11.