Theresa Dalton faces trial accused of hiring hit man to kill husband
A woman was ‘fixated’ on the idea of hiring a hit man to kill her ex-husband after a bitter separation and was willing to pay $40k, a prosecutor has alleged.
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A Gold Coast woman has denied hiring a hit man for $40,000 to kill her husband after they went through a “hostile and acrimonious” separation.
Theresa Dalton faced Brisbane Supreme Court on Monday for the first day of her trial after she pleaded not guilty to orchestrating the failed murder plot of her ex-husband Malcolm Stewart after their 20-year marriage breakdown.
Ms Dalton is alleged to have cajoled her then-boyfriend Anthony Werner into hiring his old friend Matthew Neels to murder her ex-husband in January 2010.
Prosecutor David Finch said Ms Dalton was “fixated” on having Mr Stewart killed and provided a photograph of him, $20,000 cash along with his address and vehicle registration details to her boyfriend to give to Neels.
“She was the person in the background pulling the strings if you will,” Mr Finch said.
“(Werner) was initially reluctant to become involved, but Ms Dalton was very very persistent.
“She went on and on about making Mr Stewart disappear.”
Mr Finch said during the trial, the jury would hear that Mr Werner made arrangements to pay $20,000 upfront to Neels with another $20,000 to follow once Mr Stewart was murdered.
The jury heard that the would-be hit man never carried out the plot and Neels proved to be “more of a thief than a killer” by keeping the money for himself and moving to New South Wales.
Mr Finch told the court Ms Dalton and Mr Stewart had built a comfortable life together but when their relationship broke down “irretrievably” in 2007 a fight ensued over their assets.
The court heard that if her ex-husband died, Ms Dalton’s “problems would be solved”.
Ms Dalton is charged with one count of attempting to procure commission of criminal acts.
Her barrister Michael Copley QC did not make an opening statement.
The trial continues before Justice John Bond and is expected to last seven days.
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