Queensland police search NSW property for body of missing man Greg Dufty

POLICE have zeroed in on a property in northern NSW as they search for the body of a Gold Coast father allegedly murdered over a drug debt.

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POLICE from two states will continue scouring a remote NSW property in the search for the body of a missing Gold Coast father they believe was murdered over a drug debt.

Greg Dufty, 37, was last seen on July 6 last year at the Ashmore, Gold Coast home of his former partner and there has been no sign of him since.

Although they are still searching for his body, police have charged four men over Mr Dufty’s murder.

Three of those men — Lionel Patea, Liam Bliss and Aaron Crawford — were charged last year with murder and the fourth man, New Zealander Clinton Stockman, faced Southport Magistrates Court on Monday charged as an accessory after the fact.

Police believe Mr Dufty was led to a remote part of the Gold Coast hinterland and bashed to death as retribution for stealing cannabis from his drug-dealer boss.

More details of the alleged murder came to light in December when Crawford, a cousin of singer Ricki-Lee Coulter, made a failed bail attempt at Brisbane Supreme Court.

Pool builder Greg Dufty, 37, has not been seen since July last year.

The court heard Crawford, 27, allegedly bought zip ties and other materials from a Bunnings store and drove Mr Dufty to a property in Mt Nathan, where three other men helped Crawford assault him.

An eyewitness told the court Crawford was heard to have yelled: “bite the hand that feeds you” during the alleged bashing and he tried to revive the victim but it was too late.

The court was told Mr Dufty ran drugs for Crawford to Darwin and stole marijuana from his northern NSW crop to pay off a debt to another drug dealer.

Patea, who was allegedly at the scene of the bashing with co-accused Bliss, is separately accused of the murder of his ex-partner, Tara Brown, who he allegedly bludgeoned to death with a cast-iron water hydrant after ramming her car off the road in the Gold Coast in September.

Police and SES combed a Gold Coast creek and roadside in December to search for an alleged murder weapon. Picture: David Clark

In relation to Mr Dufty’s alleged murder, the court heard Patea allegedly held a knife to Mr Dufty’s throat and demanded: “where’s the money” as the man was bashed.

Stockman, 28, is accused of helping the three accused killers of disposing of Mr Dufty’s body.

He was granted bail and his lawyer Nic Tobin would not clarify outside court whether his client would defend the charge.

Police believe Mr Dufty’s body is somewhere on a 162ha property about 30km southwest of Casino, near the Royal Camp State Forest in NSW.

The search ramped up on Tuesday and a large tarpaulin could be seen draped over part of the property, AAP reported.

“We are undertaking a search of the property for the remains of Greg Dufty,” Queensland police Detective Superintendent Dave Hutchinson said yesterday.

Supt Hutchinson said NSW police were assisting in the search.