Brendon Farrell: Supreme Court grants bail to alleged killer Richard Jackson amid ‘flawed’ police case

A Doveton forklift driver was killed when an alleged attacker violently “snapped” at him during a plan to evict him from his granny flat.

Doveton forklift driver Brendon Farrell died after a violent standover-job, in which one his alleged attackers “snapped” during a plan to “teach him a lesson” and evict him from his granny flat, a court has heard.

Mr Farrell, 32, was reported missing in May last year and his battered body was found at Noble Park in July, following an extensive police search.

Two men, Terence Tiamalu, 31, and former professional boxer Richard “Action” Jackson, 50, have been charged with his murder, while a third man, Robert Haapakoski, 50, has been charged with being an accessory.

A Supreme Court bail hearing for Jackson on Wednesday heard the case against him was “hopelessly flawed”.

Richard Jackson – former housemate of missing man Brendon Farrell Picture: 7 news

Justice Lex Lasry granted Jackson’s release on bail, saying “there’s no evidence” to support the charge of murder against him.

Prosecutors plan to argue a “circumstantial” case in which Jackson and Tiamalu agreed to seriously assault and evict Mr Farrell from the granny flat he was living in.

Tiamalu and Jackson were arrested shortly after Mr Farrell’s body was found inside a roll of carpet beside a boat trailer in Haapakoski’s Noble Park back yard.

But Justice Lasry, having reviewed the prosecution case against Jackson, said it was “not circumstantial, it’s non existent”.

Police search bushland in Cranbourne following disappearance of Brendon Farrell. Picture: David Crosling

The prosecution case is that Tiamalu “snapped” during a conversation with Mr Farrell and began slapping him, before gripping him by his legs and punching him to the head and face.

The court heard new details about the police probe into Mr Farrell’s death, including an elaborate operation to tap phones and listen in on conversations of suspects.

Prosecutors are expected to allege Tiamalu said Mr Farrell “carked it” in the back foot well of his car after he beat him.

Tiamalu was also allegedly overheard saying “something that I just did came on the news” in the minutes after a report on Mr Farrell’s disappearance.

“I’ll get caught soon,” Tiamalu allegedly said.

Richard Jackson, who is accused of murdering Melbourne man Brendon Farrell.

Brendon Farrell was brutally bashed in his home at Doveton.

Justice Lasry said “at best” the prosecution case showed “some kind of agreement to assault” Mr Farrell, but could not prove there was an agreement between Tiamalu and Jackson to kill or seriously injure Mr Farrell.

Jackson will be subject to strict conditions, including to live at an address in Mont Albert while the case plays out in court in coming months.

Neither Tiamalu and Haapakoski have applied for bail and are remanded in custody.

The trio’s case returns to the magistrates’ court for a committal hearing in May.