Morcombe murder hearing date set

Family gets court news while on Qld child safety tour

THE Morcombe family is relieved that a committal hearing for Daniel’s accused murderer has been listed before the end of the year.

Bruce and Denise Morcombe were travelling between Barcaldine and Charters Towers on tour as child safety ambassadors when they learned the hearing had been set for November 26.

They said they feared the case against Brett Peter Cowan would wait until 2013.

“We always wanted the committal to move along in a timely fashion and we just wanted it sooner rather than later,” Mr Morcombe said.

“We’re looking forward to the end of November when the committal kicks off.”

Cowan was charged last year with 13-year-old Daniel’s abduction and murder on December 7, 2003.

Chief Magistrate Judge Brendan Butler set the committal date after hearing lengthy legal argument over 20 witnesses who Cowan’s defence team wants to crossexamine.

The Crown had consented to more than 30 witnesses being questioned at the committal hearing but argued against the remaining 20.

Lawyer Michael Bosscher told the court he needed to cross-examine people who claimed they saw Daniel Morcombe at the abduction site about whether they had undergone hypnosis or regression therapy.

He said he also needed to know what photo boards of police persons of interest they had seen and whether they had identified anyone.

Mr Bosscher said it was important to cross-examine those witnesses to test their memories, their reliability and other issues not “adequately” covered during an inquest in 2010.

He said some of the witness statements were in “stark contrast” to Cowan’s alleged admissions.

“The defence position will be the person they saw was not Mr Cowan,” Mr Bosscher said.

Judge Butler will deliver a decision on the witnesses on September 14.