North Queensland’s biggest court stories from the year
It was a busy year in Townsville courts in 2024, as local families gained closure — some still without — as offenders charged with murder, manslaughter and serious crime were trialled, jailed and freed. SEE THE LIST
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It was a busy year in Townsville courts in 2024, as local families gained closure — some still without — as offenders charged with murder, manslaughter and serious crime were put on trial and jailed.
Some facing charges had them dropped, including well-known priest Father Dave Lancini.
Here’s a rundown of the biggest cases of the past 12 months.
Riverway Dr murder trial jury discharged
A judge has formally discharged the jury involved in the retrial of Kayla Golding’s alleged murder.
On what should have been day 10 of the trial, Justice David North told the jury they were free to leave as the proceedings would not continue.
The last two weeks the jury heard evidence given by neighbours who lived at the Riverway Dr apartments where Ms Golding bled out in the driveway, officers involved in the investigation, a witness who was in the room when the woman’s neck was cut and police interviews of the defendants were played.
Father found guilty of manslaughter of toddler
A Townsville father has been found guilty of the manslaughter of his three-year-old daughter who tragically drowned in a stormwater drain near her home in Kelso three years ago.
The now 30-year-old man, who was visibly upset for the entire trial and was supported by his family at the back of the courtroom each day, nodded his head in acceptance when the jury revealed their verdict on Friday morning.
The man originally pleaded not guilty to one count of endangering a child and not guilty to manslaughter.
Mother of drowned toddlers had ‘no genuine remorse’ judge said
A Townsville judge has labelled the actions of a mum found guilty over the death of her two sons in the Ross River as a “gross failure” in care.
Justice David North has sentenced Leeanne Chrysilla Eatts to eight years prison and said the mother did not harbour genuine remorse over the deaths of Barak Brian Austral, 5, and Jhulio Maximus Arturo Sariago, 3.
Almost nine months ago the mother was found guilty of their deaths after they drowned in the Ross River on February 25, 2019 – their deaths devastated the community.
Car thief found guilty of manslaughter of motorcyclist
After an eight-day trial, and 14 hours of deliberating a jury has found car thief Gregory Clubb guilty of the manslaughter of Jennifer Board.
With tearful eyes, a spokesperson for the Board family said “we’re satisfied that justice has been served”.
Clubb whose family sat at the back of the courtroom for the trial also wept, as did Clubb as he exited the courtroom into the watch house.
Big bash cricketer found not guilty of rape
A jury has decided that a Big Bash cricket player did not rape a woman who accused the man of penetrating her without consent while in his vehicle that was parked on Townsville’s nightclub strip.
The jury finalised their deliberation Wednesday afternoon only taking an hour to make their decision and stated they found Nikhil Chaudhary not guilty of rape and not guilty of the alternative charge of sexual assault.
Father Dave Lancini acquitted after “false allegations”
The legal team who represented a North Queensland Catholic priest have claimed the allegations made against him were “fabricated” and “misleading” before having all charges officially dismissed.
A Townsville court room erupted in applause as dozens of people came to show their support for Father David Leonard Lancini who simply said “thank you very much” to Magistrate Viviana Keegan after he learned the charges were officially dismissed.
The retired priest was originally charged with eight counts of indecent treatment of a child under 14, and has always denied the accusations.
The charges were officially dropped May 28.
Life imprisonment for father who raped, filmed baby
A little girl was one week old when her biological father began sexually abusing her, filming it and distributing the graphic content to others online, a court was told.
With knee-high socks, and a blue button up shirt the Townsville man, who cannot be named in order to protect the identity of the victims, sat in the dock as the details of his disturbing crimes were revealed.
Crown prosecutor Monique Sheppard opened the sentence on Monday morning in Townsville District Court, claiming the most serious of the man’s 87 charges was the rape of his own daughter, who was referred to as ‘L’.
Former teacher’s sex abuse plan revealed in court
A trusted educator, and at the time of his offending, a teacher at Ignatius Park College was told by a judge that his ‘longstanding porn addiction’ is what led to his depraved sexual interest in children.
Leonard John Farren appeared in Townsville District Court on Friday morning after a covert police operation uncovered the child sex abuse material chats he was involved in a year ago – and more worryingly uncovered his plan to drug and abuse a girl.
Farmers sentenced for rape
Three PNG farm workers who deprived a 21-year-old woman of her liberty and took her to a ‘dark, remote area’ where a rape occurred have been sentenced in Townsville’s District Court on Monday.
Before the court were Micah Umm, 29, who had pleaded guilty to one count of rape and Noel Ninibil, 34, and Zebedee Luwi, 31, who had been found guilty on March 15 by a District Court jury of deprivation of liberty, and one count of rape.
The three men, who had been working at a watermelon farm near Charters Towers, had been drinking at the White Horse Tavern in Charters Towers in the early hours of December 5, 2021.
Ex soldier avoids jail after secretly filming guests
In an environment where visitors should have felt safe and should have been able to shower privately, a man hid a secret camera to record them naked and additionally used it to film a woman he had sex with then told a psychologist he offended due to ‘personal development’.
William Gerard Rush Huybregts appeared in Townsville Magistrates Court on June 21 after his offending unravelled due to a curious woman noticed a suspicious bug spray can sitting atop a shower shelf.
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Originally published as North Queensland’s biggest court stories from the year
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