New lawyer for man charged after woman’s Clarendon Vale death

Gary Matthews, who is facing an accessory charge following the September 2016 death of Michelle Meades, has returned to court with a new lawyer.

A ROKEBY man facing an accessory charge relating to the death of Michelle Meades has faced court with a new lawyer nearly four years after the alleged crime.

Gary Matthews, 60, has previously pleaded not guilty to assault, failure to report a killing, and accessory after the fact of Ms Meades’ September 2016 demise.

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Mr Matthews, who is on bail, appeared in the Supreme Court of Tasmania on Tuesday.

Prosecutor Jack Shapiro told Justice Michael Brett the Crown had made an offer to Mr Matthews last year in a bid to resolve the matter, but the case still hadn’t finalised.

Kingston woman Michelle Louise Meades, 51, was found dead in a property in Clarendon Vale on Thursday 22, September 2016.

He also said Mr Matthews informed his defence lawyer Rochelle Mainwaring on March 12 that he no longer wanted her representation.

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Instead, he gave instructions to Crotty Legal lawyer Dinesh Loganathan and barrister Fabiano Cangelosi on Monday this week to act on his behalf.

Mr Cangelosi, appearing via audio-link on Tuesday, asked Justice Brett for more time to “get across” Mr Matthews’ case.

In October last year, Kylie Jane Hack was jailed a minimum five-and-a-half years after pleading guilty to Ms Meades’ manslaughter.

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Her conviction, after the charge was downgraded from murder, came following months of concern about how long the case was taking to proceed to an expected six-week trial with 80 witnesses.

House at Saladin Circle Clarendon Vale where the body of Michelle Louise Meades was found. Picture: NIKKI DAVIS-JONES

Ms Meades went missing at New Town on September 16 that year, with police finding her body six days later in a burnt-out Clarendon Vale public housing unit.

Hack also pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice by cleaning the crime scene, concealing the body, setting fire to a unit and lying to police, and stealing a handbag belonging to Ms Meades.

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Ms Meades’ death occurred after she complained to neighbours about the drugs she had just purchased at the unit, with Hack punching and overpowering her.

Mr Matthews will return to court on June 23.