Adam Bidner : Alleged Cessnock tip murderer in court over stolen number plates, assault, breaches

The 30-year-old from Aberdare, who is facing charges over the murder of Shane Mears at Cessnock tip in July, had a number of other outstanding matters down for sentence on Monday.

Adam Bidner appeared at Cessnock Local Court house on Monday. Picture Amy Ziniak

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Dressed in his prison greens and a freshly shaved head, murder accused Adam Bidner made a rare in-person appearance at Cessnock Local Court.

The 30-year-old, who is facing charges over the death of Shane Mears at Cessnock tip in July, had a number of other outstanding matters down for sentence on Monday.

One of them, an unlawfully obtain goods in custody charge — which he pleaded guilty to — occurred on February 14 at Aberdare, after police found him with stolen vehicle number plates.

Adam Bidner has been charged over the death of Shane Mears at Cessnock tip. Picture: Facebook.

Shane Mears was killed while looking for scrap metal from the tip. Picture: supplied

When stopped by police, so they could search his vehicle to ensure he was complying with a Firearm Prohibitions Order (FPO), police discovered the plates to which he said, “I got them from the tip last night”.

Bidner’s solicitor Jacob Tate from Aboriginal Legal Services told the court while he hadn’t prepared a formal application, he asked Magistrate Andrew Millar to consider a pseudonym for his client.

He felt the goods in custody charge — which happened some five months before Mears’ death — could potentially draw a link to Bidner’s more serious offences and the waste facility.

“If information was to go before the community, it would prejudice a future trial revealing previous history,” Mr Tate said.

“This is somewhat of a haphazard application as it only occurred to me as I walked into court and saw media.”

But Magistrate Millar dismissed his concerns saying it will take a while before those charges would head to the District Court.

“It’s such a long way away, I don’t know how it will impact so far down the track,” he said.

Police established a crime scene at a Cessnock tip after a man was found with injuries and later died. Picture: Amy Ziniak

Bidner was charged with the murder of Mears last month.

Mr Mears, 54, suffered horrific injuries and died after he was allegedly run over by Bidner — another scrap metal collector — as they searched through an area of the tip on July five.

Police allege Bidner struck the father of seven with his Toyota Landcruiser and escaped through a hole in a boundary fence of the waste management facility, before being arrested three days later.

Also sentenced on Monday for breaches of his community corrections orders (CCOs) for common assault and destroy and damage property last year, police facts detailed how Bidner tried to run from police through several residential yards damaging a number of fences, before he was tracked down by the dog unit.

A drive whilst suspended charge was also hanging over the 30-year-old’s head from November.

Police facts detailed how Bidner continued to breach conditions imposed on him by the courts and had a “complete disregard” for the process.

Magistrate Millar said there was “nothing exceptional” about the nature of the offences before him on Monday.

He fined Bidner $700 in total, disqualified him from driving for six months and revoked both CCOs.

Bidner’s remaining matters will go before Cessnock Local Court in October.