Charges questioned

A HOBART lawyer charged with two counts of perverting justice that relate to killer Susan Neill-Fraser’s appeal has asked for more details to be included on the formal charge document.

Jeffrey Ian Thompson, 52, of Sandy Bay, who has pleaded not guilty to perverting justice, appeared in the Supreme Court in Hobart yesterday.

According to the indictment also filed yesterday, the Crown alleges Mr Thompson, a former member of Neill-Fraser’s legal team, attempted to influence a witness involved in the appeal.

The Crown alleges Mr Thompson, at Risdon Vale on June 16 last year, with intent to obstruct, prevent, pervert, or defeat the due course of justice or the administration of law, namely Neill-Fraser’s application for a second appeal, attempted to influence Stephen Gleeson identifying a person from a photo array.

The Crown further alleges Mr Thompson, at Sandy Bay and possibly at other southern Tasmanian locations, again with intent to obstruct, prevent, pervert, or defeat the due course of justice or the administration of law, prepared a document outlining the evidence he would or could give for Neill-Fraser’s appeal, relating to Mr Gleeson’s identification.

The indictment said Mr Thompson wrote in that document that Mr Gleeson had looked at the photographs “for about a minute and then picked up my pen and signed four of the photo array”, after being asked if he recognised a person Mr Gleeson had previously referred to.

The Crown argues Mr Thompson “used a number of gestures and comments” to attempt to influence Mr Gleeson’s identification.

Mr Thompson, who is representing himself, told the court yesterday the indictment did not include sufficient detail.

“It really doesn’t give any particulars to say that there was any perversion of justice,” he said.

He said the document re- ferred to was half completed and “may or may not have been used”.

“That doesn’t really go anywhere near perverting justice because there has to be some overt act,” he said.

Justice Stephen Estcourt adjourned the case to October.

Neill-Fraser is serving 23 years for killing her partner Bob Chappell in 2009. She has applied for permission to file a last-ditch appeal.