Matthew Leveson inquest: Atkins sketch of bush grave revealed

A SCRAPPY sketch that led police to the lonely bush grave where Matt Leveson had lain for almost a decade was revealed today. It was drawn by his boyfriend Michael Atkins after he finally confessed that he buried Matt’s body.

Martial arts expert Atkins was acquitted by a jury in 2009 of murder or manslaughter and given immunity from a retrial. Picture Renee Nowytarger

• Inquest into the death of Matthew Leveson resumes

A SCRAPPY sketch that led police to the lonely bush grave where Matt Leveson had lain for almost a decade was revealed today at the inquest into his death.

It was drawn and signed by his older boyfriend, Michael Atkins, now aged 54, when he finally confessed that he had buried Matt’s body despite having maintained the lie that Matt could still be alive and living in Thailand.

Map showing the location of the body of Matt Leveson, drawn by Michael Atkins.

The sketch shows the journey Atkins made on September 24, 2007, driving his lover’s blue Corolla hatchback with the body in the boot.

In the dark, he drove from their Cronulla unit to the turn off to Waterfall and along McKell Ave before pulling into a car park and digging Matt’s grave with a mattock.

It has been tendered as evidence at the resumed inquest into Matt’s death which has heard Atkins’ most recent claim that he panicked after Matt died of a drug overdose.

Atkins said he bought a mattock and duct tape and buried 20-year-old Matt Leveson’s body in the Royal National Park, south of Sydney, rather than calling paramedics because he was thinking about his own reputation as he had just come out as a gay man.

Sketch showing the location of the body of Matt Leveson drawn by Michael Atkins

Martial arts expert Atkins was acquitted by a jury in 2009 of murder or manslaughter and given immunity from a retrial if he led police to the gravesite to allow Matt’s parents, Mark and Faye Leveson, and Matt’s two brothers to take his body home for burial.

In a 21-page statement to police in December last year, Atkins said that he and Matt had fallen out at Darlinghurst’s ARQ nightclub and when they got home to the Cronulla flat they shared, Matt had gone to bed and Atkins slept on the couch.

Michael Atkins and Matthew Leveson.

When he woke, he realised Matt was dead and found a bottle of the date rape drug GHB in the kitchen.

Atkins has claimed he found Matt dead on the floor of their bedroom later that day from a drug overdose.

Atkins told police: “I went into the bedroom and saw that Matt was lying on the ground with his eyes open and he was not breathing and he had a funny colour and he was dead,” he said.

“I did not know what to do and I just sat there with him.

“I thought I could bury the body and nobody would know. I thought it would make it all better.” “Did you cause Matt’s death?”, a police officer asked.

“No.”

“Why did you cover up Matt’s death?”

“Because I thought I would get blamed.”

Matt’s body was found on May 31 this year, nine years, eight months and eight days after he was last seen. Picture: Dean Lewins

Atkins claimed he was worried about his reputation, and thought if he buried the body “the problem would all go away in some weird way”.

“I was not thinking very clearly, I thought people would think he has just gone away or is missing,” he said.

He has provided police with another sketch showing Matt’s body lying next to the bed. The sketch is not to scale.

Matt’s body was found on May 31 this year, nine years, eight months and eight days after he was last seen leaving ARQ nightclub with Atkins.

Despite leading homicide detectives to Matt’s bush grave, police do not believe what Atkins told them about how the 20-year-old died, the inquest into Matt’s death heard yesterday.

Counsel assisting the coroner, Tim Game SC, said the coroner could not make findings as to the manner and cause of Matt’s death based on what Atkins said in his statement to police before Matt’s remains were discovered because it is not believed to be the truth.

If Atkins’ lawyers pressed the contents of the statement as the truth, then it was “inevitable” that Atkins would have to go into the witness box, Mr Game said.

Atkins has not appeared in court yet, although he remains under subpoena to attend the inquest when required.