Nathan James Lawrance charged with murdering Timothy Lloyd Oates at Southport
The man charged with murdering a 44-year-old on the Gold Coast over the weekend has been identified, as has the deceased. It can also be revealed the accused is facing four additional charges.
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The man charged with murdering a 44-year-old on the Gold Coast over the weekend has been identified in court.
Stafford Heights man Nathan James Lawrance, 28, a former Gold Coast resident, made no appearance when his charges were briefly mentioned in Southport Magistrates Court on Monday, June 30.
Mr Lawrance is charged with murdering 44-year-old Labrador man Timothy Lloyd Oates, who was discovered unresponsive with head injuries in a vehicle outside a property on Beale St, Southport.
Police allege Mr Lawrance assaulted the deceased at about 9.30pm on Saturday night.
The deceased was transported to Gold Coast University Hospital, but could not be revived.
According to court documents, Mr Lawrance is facing four additional charges related to contraband allegedly discovered after his arrest on Sunday, June 29, the day after the alleged murder.
In addition to murder, Mr Lawrance has been charged with possessing explosives without authority, possessing drug utensils, possessing dangerous drugs, and possessing a category D/H/R weapon, a Derringer pistol.
Legal Aid Queensland solicitor Shannon Fletcher told the court she had received an aid application from Mr Lawrance and requested an adjournment to be able to formally request a brief of evidence from police.
Mr Lawrance’s charges will next be mentioned on July 22.
Police Superintendent Brett Jackson, speaking to media on Monday morning, said it was believed Mr Oates sustained the fatal head injury by a “strike of some sort” and a weapon was not involved.
He said a number of witnesses who saw the alleged altercation between the victim and the accused are co-operating with investigations.
“CCTV has been collected from the property and neighbouring homes which will form part of the police’s case (in court),” Superintendent Jackson said.
“It’s understood the parties were known to each other.”
Mr Oates, the deceased, was well known to police and was on parole at the time of his death.
Mr Oates appeared most recently in the Southport District Court on May 12, where he pleaded guilty to five offences, including a series of domestic violence assaults.
He was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment with court-ordered parole as at the day of sentence.
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Originally published as Nathan James Lawrance charged with murdering Timothy Lloyd Oates at Southport
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