Rodney Stephen Rose charged with murder after man found in Holden Lane suffering critical injuries
Two unrelated murder cases have been linked to a lane in a North Coast tourist town. Here’s what we know.
Police & Courts
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A Ballina murder case is in limbo almost 18 months after a man was found lying on the ground in Holden Lane suffering from critical head injuries and later died.
The lane in the North Coast town is the same location a woman was found bloodied and beaten less than a year later – her husband faces a wholly separate murder allegation.
Rodney Stephen Rose, 51, has been charged with the murder of Steven Ponton, 54 in early February 2022.
He was extradited from Cairns in Far North Queensland later that month.
Police allege Mr Rose fatally assaulted Mr Ponton inside a unit on Tamar St, Ballina before the older man stumbled out of the unit and lost consciousness.
Paramedics found an injured Mr Ponton in Holden Lane, just metres from Ballina Police Station. He was taken to Lismore Base Hospital and died the next day.
Police later raided a Ballina home and charged Michelle McLennan, 44, with concealing an indictable offence – murder.
It’s alleged Ms McLennan knew about the murder and failed to come forward to police with information that may have aided in investigations.
Mr Rose remains remanded in custody, while Ms McLennan has been bailed.
She was required to attend court on Wednesday, but failed to appear.
Mr Rose and Ms McLennan have not entered pleas and Magistrate Kathy Crittenden has adjourned the case to August 30.
Meanwhile, Robert Karl Huber, 66, faces an unrelated Ballina murder charge and a charge of breaching a domestic violence order.
He has denied bashing his partner Lindy Lucena, 64, to death after her body was found in Holden Lane on January 4 of this year.
Mr Huber has not entered pleas and has been remanded in custody.
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