Cedric William Harris alleged to have caused death of Charters Towers woman, Katrina McLachlan, drops lawyers before hearing

A man who police allege caused the death of his partner after drink driving and striking her with his car has not only dropped his lawyers last minute, but remained determined of his innocence.

Katrina McLachlan, 30, tragically died after being hit by a car in Millchester November 5. Picture: Supplied

A man who police have alleged caused the death of his partner after drink driving striking her with his car has not only dropped his lawyers last minute, but remained determined of his innocence.

It is alleged by police that in April 2022, Cedric William Harris drove along Bluff Road in Charters Towers just before 10pm when he fatally hit his partner at the time, mother of four, Katrina McLachlan.

The 51-year-old appeared in Townsville Magistrates Court on January 30 via video link and stated he wanted different legal representation and also declared his pleas of not guilty to driving without due care to cause death, drink driving, assault occasioning bodily harm while armed in company, going armed as to cause fear and wilful damage.

He told the court he would plead guilty to assaulting police and obstructing police.

Mr Harris’s former legal representative Lorelei Billing from Australian and Torres Strait Island Legal Services asked the court to officially withdraw from the case, citing she had received a handwritten letter from the man who said he wanted different lawyers.

He told Magistrate Richard Lehmann he had since applied for Legal Aid.

The magistrate warned him that a summary hearing for two of the charges were scheduled for February 6 in the Charters Towers Magistrates Court, and that until his Legal Aid application was approved he would be representing himself in court, leading Mr Harris to call for an adjournment to wait until new representation had been secured.

“I’ve been in custody since last year, these things happened over 18 months ago,” Mr Harris said,

He told the court repeatedly that he had entered a plea of not guilty to majority of the charges last year.

Mr Lehmann cancelled the summary hearing, remanded Harris in custody and adjourned the matters of going armed to cause fear, assault occasioning bodily harm while armed in company and obstructing police to February 20.

The man’s two-day hearing for the charges of driving without due care to cause death, drink driving and wilful damage will take place on March 20 and March 21 at Townsville Magistrates Court.

He will be sentenced for obstructing and assaulting police on March 21.

Originally published as Cedric William Harris alleged to have caused death of Charters Towers woman, Katrina McLachlan, drops lawyers before hearing