Anguished parents of Matthew Leveson hit out with grisly photos of son’s remains

MATTHEW Leveson’s mother and father displayed images of their son’s bones as it was claimed in court that police blunders let his boyfriend off the hook.

Mark and Faye Leveson hold a photograph of their son Matthew and his skeletal remains at the inquest at the NSW Coroners Court in Sydney. Picture: AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts

THEY are the photos that say it all about the anguish of Matthew Leveson’s parents as they fight for justice for their dead son.

Faye and Mark Leveson held two images up to the waiting press outside court — one of the 20-year-old’s smiling face, and another of his bones reassembled on a table, after they were unearthed from where former boyfriend Michael Atkins buried them in the Royal National Park south of Sydney.

The first picture was taken two weeks before he died in 2007. In the second, his skull is in pieces and his hands and feet are missing. It’s the last photo the Levesons have of their middle son, taken after his remains were exhumed in early June.

Mark and Faye Leveson displayed images of their son’s remains, buried in the Royal National Park by his former boyfriend Michael Atkins, at a Sydney court.

“This is what Atkins did to him,” she told the inquest at Sydney’s Glebe Coroner’s Court on Friday.

“You don’t leave someone you love like that,” Mr Leveson added to reporters outside.

It comes after it was claimed in court that police blunders let Atkins off the hook. Officers lost evidence and failed to press the 54-year-old when he “was on the verge of giving information”, the Daily Telegraph reported, telling police: “I want to tell you but I’m scared what will happen to me if I do.”

Detective Senior Constable Scott Craddock told the inquest: “This clearly demonstrates Atkins was involved in this disappearance.”

Many in the courtroom cried on Friday when Mrs Leveson spoke about her son’s death. But the man who buried his body was not there to hear it, and will not be forced to reappear at the inquest when it resumes.

Mrs Leveson told the inquest ‘this is what Atkins did to him’ and said she would always wonder if her son suffered.

Mrs Leveson spoke with anger about Atkins, who last year agreed to lead police to his remains in exchange for immunity from perjury and contempt of court charges.

“If (Atkins) was truly genuine and loved Matt as he says, he would have told us where Matt was on September 23, 2007,” she said.

“The only reason he gave us back Matt in May this year is because he was under threat of having to go to jail on perjury charges.”

Outside court afterwards, she added: “He should have been there to listen, to hear what we had to say.

“Everybody in the court heard what he had to say but the one person who should’ve had to listen to what we had to say was him. He put Matt in the ground.”

It comes as police bungles in the investigation emerged.

She told the inquest they will always wonder if he suffered and she will go to her grave not knowing what happened.

After 10 years, the Levesons are driven as ever to hear the truth about their son’s death.

Atkins was acquitted of murder and manslaughter in 2009.

He’s since told NSW Police he decided to bury the body to protect his reputation after he found his young boyfriend dead from a drug overdose.

NSW State Coroner Elaine Truscott said his statement is uncorroborated and untested and the discovery of Mr Leveson’s remains hasn’t prompted any new investigative leads.

On Friday, she discharged the subpoena that previously compelled Atkins to give evidence, saying he consistently lied and had “no credibility as a witness”.

The inquest at Glebe Coroner’s Court will resume on September 26 for final submissions.