Judge’s harsh message to Sydney lawyer Mai Truong

A judge has launched a scathing attack on a lawyer, during an appeal hearing for a murder who beheaded his victim.

A SYDNEY-based lawyer who sometimes works in Tasmania’s courts has been given a strict deadline to file the appropriate grounds of appeal on behalf of her client, convicted murderer Darren Ward Gale.

Gale was sentenced to 22 years in jail on August 2 after being found guilty of killing, beheading and burying his then Ulverstone flatmate in a bush grave in 2016.

Lawyer Mai Truong copped a serve from Justice Gregory Geason. Picture: ZAK SIMMONDS

On August 8, Gale appealed his conviction and a directions hearing before Justice Gregory Geason was due to be held in the Burnie Supreme Court on Wednesday afternoon.

In a blistering attack, Justice Geason told Mai Truong her work on Gale’s appeal was the worst he had witnessed in 30 years of practice.

“The work you have done falls far short of what is needed to advance this case,” he said.

Justice Geason set a new directions hearing of December 10 and told Ms Truong if she did not attend court in Hobart there would be consequences for both her and Gale.

Instead of receiving a settled grounds of appeal and particulars ready for the directions hearing, Ms Truong sent an email titled “draft further and better particulars”.

Ms Truong told the court her appeal was a “work in progress” and she was waiting on documents from the Supreme Court in Tasmania.

She told the court there were grounds for appeal but the trial was very complex and technical and she needed more time.

Justice Geason told her it was unfair on her client and the state if the process continued in an open-ended fashion.

“I need a settled notice of appeal with settled grounds and particulars,” he said.

“This needs to be done with urgency. Being in Sydney is no excuse. It is your duty to be here.”