SA court told four people, including Sheree May Glastonbury, engaged in conspiracy to murder acid attack victim Geoff McLean
The conspiracy to murder acid attack victim Geoff McLean was so vast and complex that police need six more months to build their case, a court has heard.
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The Geoff McLean murder conspiracy spanned five months of violence and 150 hours of intercepted phone calls in which the suspects implicate themselves, a court has heard.
On Tuesday, the Adelaide Magistrates Court was asked to postpone the case against Mr McLean’s alleged murderers, and their alleged accomplices, for another six months.
Counsel for Sheree May Glastonbury, Mark John Murphy, Peter James Murphy and Lynette Sexton objected, saying that guaranteed 10 months’ on remand for their clients.
But Tali Costi, prosecuting, said the complexities of the alleged conspiracy and the sheer volume of evidence underpinning the case required time to collate and finalise.
“There is, I’m informed by investigators, in excess of 150 hours’ worth of telephone intercepts that has been identified as relevant and needs to be transcribed,” she said.
“Listening devices were installed in the homes of Peter Murphy and Ms Sexton, and there’s a significant amount of material that implicates, and contains admissions by, both of them.
“There is also location data, taken from mobile phones, that shows where individuals were and places them together in furtherance of this conspiracy … that material is complex.
“All of that is going to take a very significant amount of time, and police resources have been allocated, but six months is the best estimate.”
Ms Glastonbury, 49, and Mark Murphy, 51, have yet to plead to charges including murder, attempted murder, assault and serious criminal trespass.
Previously, prosecutors have alleged they subjected Mr McLean to a months-long campaign of home invasions and violence prior to the discovery of his torso in a wheelie bin.
They have alleged the duo used weapons including petrol, hydrochloric acid and a log-splitting axe to both harm and threaten to harm Mr McLean.
Another man, Anthony James Lloyd, has already been jailed for attacking Mr McLean – allegedly at the instigation of Ms Glastonbury – with acid.
Peter Murphy, 51, and Ms Sexton, 50, have yet to plead to charges of aiding and abetting Mr Murphy’s murder.
Prosecutors have alleged the couple aided with the “transport, storage and disposal” of Mr McLean’s remains.
They have further alleged Peter was intercepted speaking with Mark – his twin brother – about Mr Murphy over the phone.
The court heard he allegedly said: “I don’t even know the c--- … I know him now, I know him very well and truly now, f---king living out in my backyard for two weeks.”
On Tuesday, counsel for the four accused said their clients had already been in custody for four months, making a further six-month adjournment unacceptable.
Counsel for Ms Glastonbury said her client “wanted the matter to progress as soon as possible”.
Magistrate Brett Dixon said he was sympathetic to the needs of prosecutors but “more sympathetic to the defendants being in custody”.
He granted an adjournment, but only for four months, and remanded the four accused in custody until October.
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Originally published as SA court told four people, including Sheree May Glastonbury, engaged in conspiracy to murder acid attack victim Geoff McLean
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