Stephen Staff: Lake Illawarra murder accused refused bail after deemed ‘risk to the community’

New details have emerged as a man in his 60s has fronted court charged with murdering Matthew Davis in his Lake Illawarra home in August last year.

The man accused of murdering a reclusive Lake Illawarra man last year has been denied bail in Wollongong Local Court on Friday.

The body of 31-year-old Matthew Davis was found in his Thomas St home on August 23 last year, kicking off an eight-month investigation which led to an arrest on Wednesday.

Police allege Mr Davis was murdered sometime between 8.20pm on August 21 and 1.45am the following day, more than 36 hours before his body was discovered.

Officers from Strike Force Sienna arrested Stephen William Staff at his residence in Belfast Ave on Thursday morning, charging him with murder.

Staff appeared in Wollongong Local Court on Friday where Magistrate Robert Walker denied his application for bail.

Matthew Davis was found dead in his Lake Illawarra home in August last year. Picture: NSW Police

This was despite his solicitor’s questioning of the evidence tendered to the court – namely CCTV footage showing three men in the vicinity of Mr Davis’ address on the night of the incident.

“No one can be identified from the CCTV footage,” the accused’s solicitor Matthew Ward said.

“There is a real issue with this footage… the footage doesn’t assist in identifying the three persons.

“The two items of clothing (light track pants and a hooded jumper) were common for people to wear outside in August.”

Documents tendered to the court revealed police had phone taps of Staff discussing the incident with friends and family.

Meanwhile forensic evidence, police allege, shows traces of his DNA on a bloodied tea towel in Mr Davis’ laundry and under his fingernails.

Mr Ward told the court his client never admitted he had committed the crime in the tapped calls which the accused has labelled as “Chinese whispers” and that “there’s no dispute he wasn’t in contact with the deceased in the lead up to his death – we are not saying he didn’t know him”.

Stephen Staff being arrested at his residence in Lake Illawarra on Wednesday. Picture: NSW Police

The documents revealed that in many of the tapped calls Staff referenced Mr Davis’ death as well as media circulating the CCTV footage showing three men walking along King St before turning on to Thomas St.

“You know when he got f*****, f***** done. I wasn’t even there,” Staff said in one alleged phone tap.

“I can‘t wait to get called by the coppas to clear my f****** self, cause you know what,” he said in another from April this year.

“In the f****** video that’s f*** all. Everyone keeps saying that’s [REDACTED] no one can even see who the f*** that is. It’s f****** people walking down the street.”

Police prosecutor Sergeant Rachel Biffin argued that Staff was a “massive threat” to the community given, they allege, he murdered Mr Davis for only a few electronic items including a mobile phone, a PlayStation 4, a laptop and an internet modem.

Sergeant Biffin also said Staff had tried to interfere with prosecution witnesses.

“He is a risk to the community,” Sergeant Biffin said.

“Matthew Davis was a recluse. He wasn’t involved with the community and the accused entered his home and caused a horrendous injury to his head… he lost his life for a small amount of property.

“[Staff] is a risk to the community. He is a massive threat. He has already made contact with prosecution witnesses so the likelihood of interference with a witness is high. The risk of reoffending is high and so is the risk of him failing to appear with custody hanging over his head.”

Stephen Staff appeared in Wollongong Local Court via video link. Picture: Dylan Arvela

On Thursday, Detective Chief Inspector Glen Broadhead renewed calls for the public to help locate the men in the video, to assist with their investigations.

“We’ve circulated some CCTV footage which shows three males we believe were walking in the area at night,” he said.

“We believe these males will be able to assist us with our investigation, and we’d like to try and identify who they might be.”

Investigations are continuing with assistance from the State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad, and detectives are appealing to anyone who may have noticed anything suspicious in Thomas St and surrounds on the night of Monday, August 23 last year.

Anyone who recognises any of the males in the CCTV or anyone who may have CCTV, dashcam footage or information is urged to contact Lake Illawarra Police on [phone] or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au.