Tara Brown’s final days alive: Domestic bust-up with Lionel Patea saw couple visit lawyers
SHOCK twist as police charge young mum’s ex Lionel Patea with second murder, allegedly committed just two months before Tara was beaten to death.
TARA Brown and Lionel Patea had a violent argument while returning from New Zealand to Australia in the days before her death, say family friends.
Family sources for the first time have revealed some of the events leading up to the young office worker seeking an urgent meeting with Southport police a week before her death.
It comes as police charged Patea with a second murder unrelated to Ms Brown, accusing him of killing missing Gold Coast man Greg Dufty.
After a four-month investigation, Patea, 24, was arrested in relation to the murder of Mr Dufty, 37, who disappeared on July 6, just two months before police allege Patea beat Ms Brown, the mother of his child, to death in Molendinar.
Patea, a former Bandido sergeant-at-arms, on September 8 allegedly rammed Ms Brown’s car, forcing her off the road and beat her while she was trapped in the wreckage.
Her life support was turned off a day after the incident at the Gold Coast University Hospital and Patea taken into custody and charged with murder.
In September, the Gold Coast Bulletin revealed Ms Brown went to police for advice and police have since admitted an investigation has been launched into “the appropriateness of the police response”.
A family source late yesterday told the Bulletin: “There was an altercation between Tara and Patea at Auckland airport on August 30.
“He was chasing her throughout the airport.”
The Gold Coast Bulletin understands the investigation into the police response is continuing.
The family source said: “We are confident that police will continue to investigate this matter.”
When contacted late yesterday, Tara Brown’s lawyer Jason Hall declined to comment on alleged events in the lead-up to the death of his personal assistant.
However, Mr Hall for the first time confirmed he was with family members who went to the station with Ms Brown.
“Yes, I did take her to the station. On the Thursday (September 3) I made a booking at the police station in Southport for Tara,” he said.
“I do not wish to discuss what actually happened at this time but she was definitely turned away.
“They listened to her but … she was sent away.”
Patea’s lawyer Campbell McCallum last night said he was aware both parties had sought legal advice.
“I understand that they had some personal difficulties … which included them seeking advice from their respective lawyers,” Mr McCallum said.
“In terms of (the police) handling of the case, I don’t have any knowledge of that.”
Patea is due to face court over Mr Dufty’s murder on November 11.
His body has never been found and Patea denies the charge.
Sources confirmed the missing man was a drug user, originally from Darwin and had a large drug debt to a group of men.
“Lionel has instructed me that he denies any knowledge of the whereabouts of Mr Dufty and denies any involvement in his disappearance,” Patea’s lawyer Campbell McCallum said.
“I have attended when they have questioned him. Lionel has been co-operating with police.”
Originally published as Tara Brown’s final days alive: Domestic bust-up with Lionel Patea saw couple visit lawyers