Wardell: Alec St Clair, 29, charged with murder of Mark Dodds, Sophie-Lee Fullagar, Benjamin Watego and James Doherty

Police will allege a man who attempted to rob four people in a ute was responsible for their murders after chasing the dual cab as it fled before it left a North Coast road and fatally crashed into a tree.

Alec St Clair following his arrest on March 4, 2025 over the alleged murders of Mark Dodds, 36, and passengers Sophie-Lee Fullagar, 24, Benjamin Watego, 50, and James Doherty, 42 at Wardell. Picture: NSW Police

A man has been charged with four counts of murder after three men and a woman he was allegedly trying to rob fled and fatally crashed their ute into a tree.

Strike Force Land detectives arrested Alec St Clair, 29, on Tuesday following a year-long homicide investigation into how the blue Mazda BT50 utility had left Back Channel Rd at Wardell, near Ballina, and crashed into the tree before 5.45am.

Driver Mark Dodds, 36, and passengers Sophie-Lee Fullagar, 24, Benjamin Watego, 50, and James Doherty, 42, all died at the scene.

Investigators will allege St Clair had pursued the dual cab from a pre-dawn meeting place at South Ballina, with CCTV allegedly showing a car swerving onto the wrong side of Blackwall Dr as it follows closely at the rear of the utility over the Wardell Bridge, which spans the Richmond River.

The crash site is just moments away.

Sophie-Lee Fullagar

James Doherty

The investigation into the crash – initially Richmond detectives and crash investigation unit experts – quickly turned into a murder investigation with assistance from the state’s homicide squad.

It included heart wrenching public pleas from relatives of the victims in May last year as police formally announced they were treating the four deaths as murder.

Benjamin Watego was one of four people who died at Wardell.

The pleas also included the release of CCTV of the utility and the second car, an early 2000s silver Toyota Corolla sedan “bearing stolen number plates”.

“Police will allege in court that the man met with the four occupants in South Ballina where he attempted to rob the group. When they fled in the Mazda BT50, the man allegedly followed in a Toyota Corolla,” police said in a statement on Wednesday.

“Police will further allege the actions and manner of driving of the man led to the utility colliding with a tree, killing the four occupants.”

Richmond Police District acting commander, Acting Superintendent Grant Erickson, added during a press conference that the accused was known to at least some of his alleged victims and that police would allege it was a targeted attack.

“The victims showed up at this location [in Ballina] where they were [allegedly] confronted by the 29 year-old male where a robbery attempt was made, which resulted in their deaths,” Acting Supt Erickson said.

Police will allege the ute took off and was chased by St Clair before the crash occurred.

“This was a complex and protracted investigation by our detectives, acting on information from the public we managed to piece together the circumstances surrounding the incident,” Acting Supt Erickson said.

“This was [an alleged] robbery that resulted in the deaths of four persons.”

The investigation culminated in the arrest of St Clair at Coffs Harbour police station on Tuesday morning.

He was charged with four counts of murder, and assault with intent to rob armed with offensive weapon and cause wounding/grievous bodily harm.

St Clair faced Coffs Harbour Local Court on Tuesday where he was not required to enter a plea and did not make a release application.

He was formally refused bail to appear before Lismore Local Court on May 14.