Daughter‘s ex-partner charged with Stacey Klimovitch murder at Stockton

Detectives will allege a souring of a relationship between Stuart Daniel Campbell and Stacey Klimovitch prompted the 29-year-old to hire a professional hitman.

The ex-partner of shooting victim Stacey Klimovitch’s daughter has been dramatically arrested at gunpoint and charged with the Stockton grandmother’s alleged murder.

Strike Force Backhouse detectives will allege Stuart Daniel Campbell ordered a professional hitman to murder his estranged partner’s mother following the souring of relations between the pair.

Campbell, 29, was arrested driving his mobile home at Honeysuckle on Friday morning.

Supplied Editorial Stacey Klimovitch was shot dead at Stockton. Picture: Facebook.

Within hours of his arrest, the alleged hitman was taken into custody by ACT police in Canberra.

The 45-year-old man will be held on an arrest warrant for murder until Newcastle detectives travel down to commence extradition proceedings on Monday.

The huge breakthrough comes nearly six months since Stockton and the wider Newcastle community was rocked by the brutal death of Ms Klimovitch, a popular grandmother and swimming teacher who friends said never had an enemy.

The 61-year-old was killed with a single shotgun blast as she answered the door to her Queen St residence just after 8pm on June 9.

Stacey Klimovitch was shot dead when she answered the front door of her Queen St residence. Picture: Emily Burley.

Ms Klimovitch was at home with her daughter when she was allegedly murdered.

Alex was not physically harmed.

Strike Force Backhouse had spent months painstakingly going through CCTV across Stockton to home in on a possible shooter and getaway car.

Grandmother and swimming coach Stacey Klimovitch was shot dead at Stockton. Picture: Facebook

Campbell was taken to Newcastle police station following his 11am arrest and was charged about 6pm with murder.

He was refused police bail and will appear in Newcastle bail court on Saturday.

The alleged hitman was arrested late on Friday afternoon before a search warrant was performed on his home.