Matthew Leveson inquest: Lover Michael Atkins described by coroner as ‘not credible’

MATT Leveson’s mother Faye has accused his older lover, Michael Atkins, of murdering her son, holding up pictures of her son’s remains and asking lawyers to “look at what Atkins did to him”.

The coroner said it was “more likely than not” that Atkins had not told the truth in his last statement. Picture: Joel Carrett

• Michael Atkins devised plan to cover up younger boyfriend’s death
• Inquest into the death of Matthew Leveson resumes

MATT Leveson’s mother has accused his older lover Michael Atkins of murdering her son and possibly burying him alive in an emotional statement at an inquest today.

Faye Leveson bravely stood and faced the court to say the family had to do a “deal with the devil” to force Atkins to reveal where he had buried Matt.

She shook a photograph of her son, who was 20 when he died, and a photograph of his skeletal remains at Atkins’ two female lawyers in court and told them: “I want you to look. This is what Atkins did to him.”

Faye Leveson and husband Mark at the coronial inquest into the death of their son Matt. Picture: David Moir

Matthew's skeletal remains. Picture: Dan Himbrechts

Atkins, 54, was acquitted in 2009 by a jury of the murder or manslaughter of Matt.

After lying for almost a decade that he believed Matt was still alive and probably living in Thailand, he told police in a recent statement that Matt had died of a drug overdose.

“How do you put into words how the murder and the subsequent hiding of Matty’s body has affected me,” Faye Leveson told Glebe Coroner’s Court.

“There have been and are times I don’t want to go on anymore.

Mark and Faye Leveson hold photographs of their son Matthew's skeletal remains at the inquest. Picture: Dan Himbrechts

“We will always be left worrying, did Matty suffer? Did he die quickly or was it slow and painful?

“Was he terrified? Did he fight back?

“Was he smothered with a pillow? Was he held underwater? Did Atkins give Matty the fatal dose or just enough in a drink to render him unconscious and then bury him alive?

“I will go to my grave not knowing really what happened to Matty.

“I want Atkins to be forced to see Matty in the morgue to see the consequences of his actions.”

Michael Atkins has escaped having to give evidence again at the inquest into the death of Matt Leveson.

Matt Leveson, 20, was last seen alive leaving Sydney’s ARQ nightclub on September 23, 2007.

During today’s inquest, Deputy State Coroner Elaine Truscott said Atkins had “consistently lied” since Matt died in September 2007.

Even when he finally led police earlier this year to the spot in the Royal National Park where he had buried Matt’s body, he was only doing it for self-serving reasons, the coroner said.

“Michael Atkins has no credibility as a witness,” Ms Truscott said.

She said it was “more likely than not” that Atkins had not told the truth in the last statement he made to police, in which he claimed he had woken to find Matt dead on the floor of their bedroom from a drug overdose.

She ruled it was not in the interests of justice to make Atkins give evidence because nothing he could say would lead her to decide the “cause and manner” of Matt’s death, which she has to decide.

“It remains the case that there is no evidence about the cause and manner of Matthew’s death,” Ms Truscott said.

“Mr Atkins has consistently lied.”

Atkins led police earlier this year to the spot in the Royal National Park where he had buried Matt’s body.

Matt was last seen alive leaving Sydney’s ARQ nightclub in the early hours of September 23 2007 with Atkins to drive home to their Cronulla unit.

Atkins was given immunity from a retrial for murder if he went into the witness box at the inquest and told the truth.

Backed into a corner after lying on oath to the inquest last year, Atkins was given further immunity from prosecution for perjury if he revealed the location of the body.

He then sketched and signed a crude map showing the journey he made early on September 24, 2007, driving his lover’s blue Corolla hatchback with the body in the boot, showing the “narrow road” with no street lights and the gravel carpark past Waterfall railway station where the body was found in May.

Atkins also sketched a diagram of their Cronulla unit, showing the spot next to the bed where he claims he woke up to find Matthew dead.

“He was not breathing and he had a funny colour and he was dead,” Atkins said.

“I did not know what to do and I just sat there with him. Later when I was lying next to him I told him that I loved him.”

Matthew Leveson's car. Picture: Bob Barker.

Atkins claimed he found an empty bottle of the date rape drug GHB in the kitchen and did not call for an ambulance because he was panicking and had taken drugs at the nightclub himself.

“I was freaking out. I thought I would get blamed and I thought about the drugs,” he said in his statement.

Then he “came up with the idea” of burying the body and drove Matt’s car to the nearest Bunnings to buy a mattock and duct tape before wrapping up the body in a blanket.

He watched the TV and used the computer, waiting until their apartment complex was quiet, pushed the car outside instead of turning on the engine and put the “stiff” body in the boot.

Atkins said he didn’t want his mother to know he was gay and had to protect his reputation. “I’ve always thought of ­myself as a good person, I would do anything for anyone. I know it’s wrong. I was looking out for myself,” he told police.

The inquest has been adjourned to September 26 for final submissions.