Murder case adjournment
Defence applies to cross examine witnesses
THE case against a Gatton woman charged with murder arising from the death of a 25year-old Hong Kong national has been adjourned again in the Toowoomba Magistrates Court.
Police accuse Joanne Marie McAuley of deliberately driving her car into the path of Hong Kong national Shui Ki Chan as he rode his bicycle on the Warrego Highway near the University of Queensland’s Gatton campus on the night of August 22, 2012.
Though the incident was alleged to have occurred in 2012, McAuley, 47, was only charged with murder in mid-2018 after a coronial inquest into the circumstances surrounding 25year-old Mr Chan’s death recommended that charges be laid.
McAuley has not been required to enter any plea to the charge of murder and has been remanded in custody since her arrest following the coronial inquest in 2018.
She was not in court yesterday for the brief mention of the matter but was represented by solicitor Phil Stainton of Legal Aid Queensland’s Toowoomba office.
Mr Stainton asked the court for a one-month adjournment, saying discussions were ongoing between the defence and the prosecution in relation to a pre-trial committal hearing of the case.
It is up to the prosecution whether to accept or reject a defence application for cross examination of certain witnesses at a committal hearing before the case goes before the Supreme Court for trial.
There being no application for bail, Magistrate Robbie Davies adjourned the case for mention back in Toowoomba Magistrates Court on February 18 and remanded McAuley in custody.