NT magistrate closes court despite CH 9

THE hearing into the alleged murder of British tourist Peter Falconio has been closed to the public. Magistrate Alasdair McGregor has closed the court for part of the testimony of Falconio's girlfriend Joanne Lees.

Mr Bradley John Murdoch, 45, is facing a committal hearing in Darwin Magistrates Court charged with murdering Falconio and the alleged, unlawful assault and deprivation of liberty of Falconio's then girlfriend Joanne Lees on July 14, 2001.

The court was closed after a deal was struck between CH9, the prosecution and the defence.

"We are going to deal with something now which will be, in my view, most prejudicial and I propose to close the court for it," Mr McGregor said.

The closure of the court came despite a ruling by the NT Supreme Court earlier today upholding a ban on the media reporting some details of the hearing.

Ms Lees today resumed her testimony about the night her boyfriend disappeared on July 14, 2001.

The court had been adjourned for a week because of legal argument with CH 9.

She has told the court how staff at the Barrow Creek Hotel and the two truck drivers looked after her after she was picked up on the Stuart Highway on July 14, 2001.

At the hotel, Ms Lees said she spotted a dog, similar to the one her alleged attacker had in his van, straight away.

"I asked the girl who owned the dog what breed of dog it was because it ... was the same breed of dog as the one the man had," Ms Lees said.

"She told me it was a blue heeler dog."

Ms Lees told the court the dog was in the front seat of the man's vehicle when he pushed her into his van.

Mr Murdoch, who has spent much of the day with his head down reading, stared at Ms Lees with a half-smile, shaking his head as she talked about the dog.

Ms Lees was also asked to identify several pieces of clothing she wore on the night, and explain how she received injuries to her wrists and knees during the alleged attack.

She was also asked to identify a photo of the home-made handcuffs she was allegedly, restrained with, and demonstrated for the court how her hands were allegedly bound.

Ms Lees appeared composed and calm during her most of testimony, and only glimpsed at Mr Murdoch briefly during her evidence.

The hearing continues.

Australia to see the light on tourism

And the Australian ruling class will lock up and frame-up, for 'life', anyone for a crime against any 'backpacker or holiday maker from overseas' no matter whether they were 'guilty or not' and no matter whether they 'found any dead bodies' or whether they found any 'weapon that killed a tourist' and even if there is only 'flawed circumstantial evidence' and 'trial by media' to prove their case. The inbound and domestic tourism industry contributes $70 billion to the economy and employs 500,000.

By Just Us 26 May 04

Related:

Supreme Court rejects Nine appeal
CHANNEL Nine lost a Supreme Court appeal today to have a suppression order on details of the case of missing backpacker Peter Falconio lifted. The Full Bench of the NT Supreme Court today ruled Magistrate Alasdair McGregor had the power to make the order banning from publication some details of the case.

Stalled Falconio Committal to resume
The stalled committal hearing of the man accused of murdering British backpacker Peter Falconio will resume today after CH/9's DPP challenged the Magistrates suppression order.

Ch/9 News? Or Ch/9's Department of Public Prosecutions?
Bradley Murdoch committal, lawyer calls for fair hearing
The lawyer of the man accused of murdering British backpacker Peter Falconio has spoken to the media in Darwin.

Bradley Murdoch committal, lawyer calls for fair hearing
The lawyer of the man accused of murdering British backpacker Peter Falconio has spoken to the media in Darwin.

Peter Beattie nominated as Australian of the year: Howard
Bradley Murdoch the man alleged to have murdered English tourist Peter Falconio who has been acquitted of rape and abduction charges in the South Australian District Court.

Tourist dollar drives set-up for crime
The man alleged to have murdered English tourist Peter Falconio has been acquitted of rape and abduction charges in the South Australian District Court. Bradley John Murdoch, 45, was charged with two counts of rape, two counts of false imprisonment and two counts of indecent assault after an alleged incident in South Australia's Riverland in August last year.

Supreme Court rejects CH Nine's appeal

CHANNEL Nine lost a Supreme Court appeal today to have a suppression order on details of the case of missing backpacker Peter Falconio lifted. The Full Bench of the NT Supreme Court today ruled Magistrate Alasdair McGregor had the power to make the order banning from publication some details of the case.

Mr Bradley John Murdoch, 45, is charged with murdering Falconio and the alleged, unlawful assault and deprivation of liberty of Falconio's then girlfriend Joanne Lees on July 14, 2001.

However, Nine had a minor victory, with the court quashing two smaller suppression orders relating to the publication of Mr Murdoch's photo and details of where he was arrested.

Magistrate McGregor last week banned the publication of several sections of the prosecution's opening address in order to ensure Mr Murdoch would receive a fair hearing should the case proceed to jury trial.

The sections relate to four strands of, alleged, evidence - that the defence may challenge at trial - which allegedly link Mr Murdoch to the killing.

Mr Murdoch's committal hearing is now expected to resume in Darwin Magistrates Court.

Lees, who took to the witness stand a week ago, is midway through her testimony about the night her boyfriend of six years disappeared.

Justice David Angel said the Supreme Court decided Mr McGregor had power under section 58 of the Evidence Act to make the other suppression orders.

While the ban on publishing photographs of Mr Murdoch was lifted, the court had been told earlier that any publication of the image was still a contempt of court given identification was an issue in the committal.

The court ordered that Nine pay the other parties' costs of the hearings.

Extensive legal argument over what the media can publish has stalled the committal hearing into the alleged murder of 28-year-old of Mr Falconio for a week.

Lees, who is now expected to resume her testimony this morning, has arrived at court under heavy police guard, hidden under a piece of black material in the back of a car.

Australia to see the light on tourism

And the Australian ruling class will lock up and frame-up, for 'life', anyone for a crime against any 'backpacker or holiday maker from overseas' no matter whether they were 'guilty or not' and no matter whether they 'found any dead bodies' or whether they found any 'weapon that killed a tourist' and even if there is only 'flawed circumstantial evidence' and 'trial by media' to prove their case. The inbound and domestic tourism industry contributes $70 billion to the economy and employs 500,000.

By Just Us 26 May 04

Related:

Stalled Falconio Committal to resume
The stalled committal hearing of the man accused of murdering British backpacker Peter Falconio will resume today after CH/9's DPP challenged the Magistrates suppression order.

Ch/9 News? Or Ch/9's Department of Public Prosecutions?
Bradley Murdoch committal, lawyer calls for fair hearing
The lawyer of the man accused of murdering British backpacker Peter Falconio has spoken to the media in Darwin.

Bradley Murdoch committal, lawyer calls for fair hearing
The lawyer of the man accused of murdering British backpacker Peter Falconio has spoken to the media in Darwin.

Peter Beattie nominated as Australian of the year: Howard
Bradley Murdoch the man alleged to have murdered English tourist Peter Falconio who has been acquitted of rape and abduction charges in the South Australian District Court.

Tourist dollar drives set-up for crime
The man alleged to have murdered English tourist Peter Falconio has been acquitted of rape and abduction charges in the South Australian District Court. Bradley John Murdoch, 45, was charged with two counts of rape, two counts of false imprisonment and two counts of indecent assault after an alleged incident in South Australia's Riverland in August last year.

Stalled Falconio Committal to resume

CH/9 who's who?

The stalled committal hearing of the man accused of murdering British backpacker Peter Falconio will resume today after CH/9's DPP challenged the Magistrates suppression order.

The case had been put on hold while Channel Nine argued for the lifting of a suppression order on parts of the Crown's opening address.

The full bench of the Northern Territory Supreme Court heard the appeal over the past two days and will hand down its decision this morning.

Channel Nine argued that a magistrate did not have the power to make a suppression order.

If the media organisation is successful and the order is lifted, the Crown prosecutor has told the court Mr Murdoch's case might then be conducted in a closed court.

If the media organisation is unsuccessful, it could appeal to the High Court, although there is been no indication that this will happen.

Mr Bradley John Murdoch, 45, has been charged with Falconio's murder and the alleged, deprivation of liberty and unlawful assault of Joanne Lees.

It has been a week since evidence has been heard in the case.

Ms Lees, the key witness, was questioned for more than an hour last week. It is expected she will be the first person to take the witness stand today.

The prosecution witness list for the first week included six people but only two have so far given any evidence.

Mr Falconio's brothers, Paul and Nick, are expected to follow the committal proceedings in court today.

By DPP 26 May 04

THE DOG: Channel Nine have no rights whatsoever to delay the case of a person accused and in custody. Mr Bradley Murdoch should seek damages after the committal against Ch/9 to prevent further interference by corporate media giants who no doubt have a conflict of interest making news instead of reporting news and also having a corporate interest in tourism and $$$$$$$.

Australia to see the light on tourism

And the Australian ruling class will lock up and frame-up, for 'life', anyone for a crime against any 'backpacker or holiday maker from overseas' no matter whether they were 'guilty or not' and no matter whether they 'found any dead bodies' or whether they found any 'weapon that killed a tourist' and even if there is only 'flawed circumstantial evidence' and 'trial by media' to prove their case. The inbound and domestic tourism industry contributes $70 billion to the economy and employs 500,000.

Related:

Ch/9 News? Or Ch/9's Department of Public Prosecutions?
Bradley Murdoch committal, lawyer calls for fair hearing
The lawyer of the man accused of murdering British backpacker Peter Falconio has spoken to the media in Darwin.

Bradley Murdoch committal, lawyer calls for fair hearing
The lawyer of the man accused of murdering British backpacker Peter Falconio has spoken to the media in Darwin.

Peter Beattie nominated as Australian of the year: Howard
Bradley Murdoch the man alleged to have murdered English tourist Peter Falconio who has been acquitted of rape and abduction charges in the South Australian District Court.

Tourist dollar drives set-up for crime
The man alleged to have murdered English tourist Peter Falconio has been acquitted of rape and abduction charges in the South Australian District Court. Bradley John Murdoch, 45, was charged with two counts of rape, two counts of false imprisonment and two counts of indecent assault after an alleged incident in South Australia's Riverland in August last year.