Murder case not ready two years on
THE police brief of evidence into the alleged murder of a 63-year-old man inside a South Toowoomba home almost two years ago is expected to be completed by Christmas, a city court has been told.
Phillip Alastair Harris, 29, has been held in custody since his arrest in December 2019 following the discovery of the charred body of Peter Weaver inside a burnt out Rivett St home in South Toowoomba on the night of Sunday, December 15, 2019.
Fire crews extinguishing the fire had allegedly found the dismembered body of Mr Weaver inside the house along with the dismembered remains of a dog.
Harris has not as yet been required to enter any pleas to charges of murder, misconduct with a corpse, arson, serious animal cruelty, entering a dwelling and committing an indictable offence and serious assault of police arising from alleged incidents after his arrest.
His solicitor Nikola Prince told Toowoomba Magistrates Court on Thursday that she had all but one statement of the police brief of evidence and sought an adjournment so police could complete the file and disclose it to the defence.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Natalie Bugden said she had been advised that the particular statement relating to DNA evidence would take at least eight weeks to obtain.
Magistrate Howard Osborne therefore adjourned the case to later this year and remanded Harris in custody.