Bail appeal dismissed for murder-accused

A man accused of murdering his childhood friend has lost an appeal over a bail application. David Charles Benbow was charged with the murder of missing man Michael McGrath in September last year. McGrath, a builder, vanished from his Halswell home on May 21, 2017. His body has never been found despite intensive police searches. Benbow has been in custody since his arrest after Justice Gerald Nation declined him bail. Benbow earlier pleaded not guilty to the murder charge. Benbow, through his lawyer Margaret Sewell, went to the Court of Appeal regarding Justice Nation’s decision. Submissions at bail hearings are all suppressed under the Bail Act and only limited facts can be reported. A Court of Appeal decision, released yesterday, said the court was ‘‘satisfied’’ that the judge was right to decline Benbow’s application, and dismissed his appeal. A three-week trial on the murder charge has been set for February 9, 2021.