Neill-Fraser’s new setback

Pandemic forces delay to her appeal

CONVICTED killer Sue NeillFraser’s last-ditch appeal will not be held next month as originally planned.

Neill-Fraser, 66, yesterday appeared in the Supreme Court in Hobart before Justice Helen Wood via video link from Mary Hutchinson Women’s Prison.

A 10-day appeal had been scheduled for May 25, but due to travel restrictions in place during the COVID-19 pandemic, Neill-Fraser’s interstate legal team would be unable to attend court in person.

It would be the grandmother’s second — and possibly final — bid for freedom after she was jailed for 23 years for killing Royal Hobart Hospital chief physicist Bob Chappell, 65, on Australia Day 2009.

The court heard it was the preference of all parties to have the hearing in person and not remotely.

Director of Public Prosecutions Daryl Coates said it would be a complex, lengthy hearing which needed to be conducted face-to-face.

Justice Wood said the court would consider all options for hearing dates and would sit beyond the 10 days if necessary.

“We just don’t know what the situation will be with the coronavirus and counsel’s ability to travel,” she said.

The week beginning August 17 was reserved as a potential new hearing date.

However, that will be dependent on the availability of Neill-Fraser’s Melbournebased lawyer Chris Carr, who has a trial in Victoria in late August.

A second potential hearing date was also reserved for the week beginning November 2.

The matter was adjourned for a further directions hearing on June 22.

At the directions hearing in January, Neill-Fraser’s lawyer Paul Galbally said the 10 days would focus on ground 1.1 of the appeal, which claimed there was “fresh and compelling evidence” that “Meaghan Vass had boarded the Four Winds boat, and the deceased was attacked while she was on board”.

“We would then seek the court to rule on that ground,” Mr Galbally said.

“If necessary, the matter can proceed with the balance of the grounds.”

Ms Vass, then aged 15, was a homeless girl whose DNA was found at the crime scene.