Man faces court over veteran's beheading
Court Alerts
[##_1L|1230965326.jpg|width="120" height="101" alt=""|_##]A 41-year-old mental health patient has faced a northern New South Wales court charged with the decapitation murder of 82-year-old Armidale war veteran Mark Hutchinson. Mr Hutchinson's body was discovered in the backyard of his Markham Street home in Armidale about 2pm on January 13. Matthew James Woodroffe-Hill, a resident of Tamworth's Banksia Mental Health Unit, appeared in Tamworth Local Court today charged with the killing.
A slender man of medium height with short brown hair, Mr Woodroffe-Hill had his head bowed and remained expressionless throughout the hearing.
Described by homicide detectives as a resident of Tenterfield, police told the court he had been arrested at the Banksia unit about 10.30am (AEST) today after being questioned by detectives at Tamworth police station.
It is believed the arrest was carried out as a result of the work of Strike Force Penfold, a special task force set up within hours of the discovery of Mr Hutchinson's headless body.
Mr Woodroffe-Hill did not lodge a bail application.
Police applied to the court for forensic procedures to be carried out, asking permission to conduct a buccal swab and remove a hair sample to test his DNA.
Mr Woodroffe-Hill's Armidale lawyer David Clifton did not oppose the requests and permission was granted on condition they were completed at Tamworth police station by 9pm today.
The court was told Mr Woodroffe-Hill had not been a voluntary patient at Banksia.
It is understood that although he was not being held under section eight of the Mental Health Act, he had not been scheduled for release from the unit until May 31.
The matter was adjourned to Armidale Local Court for mention on May 23, but police said it may be up to six weeks before the results of the forensic tests were known.
Mr Clifton said outside the court that "this (the arrest) is tragic for him (Woodroffe-Hill), tragic for his family and for the wider family of the victim".
Mr Hutchinson was a former artillery gunner who served in Papua New Guinea and Borneo.
He had lived alone in his Markham Street home since 1985 and was known to his local community as a quiet but friendly man respected for his work with the local RSL and legacy war widows.
The crime initially baffled police, with robbery being ruled out early on as a possible motive.
Related listings
-
Frank Schilt pleads guilty to murder of wife
Court Alerts 05/08/2007[##_1L|1091592986.jpg|width="130" height="90" alt=""|_##]A man accused of killing his wife and dumping her body in a landfill pleaded guilty on Monday. In September, a judge ordered Frank Schilt to stand trial for the murder of his wife, Terri, altho...
-
South Plainfield handyman convicted of murder
Court Alerts 05/07/2007[##_1L|1335306527.jpg|width="130" height="90" alt=""|_##]New York - A jury in Middlesex County convicted a 45-year-old handyman this morning of strangling his girlfriend and dumping her remains in the trash in 2005. Paul Cibelli Jr. frowned and looke...
-
Inmate pleads guilty to Marshall stabbing
Court Alerts 05/07/2007[##_1L|1095806390.jpg|width="120" height="101" alt=""|_##]Darryl Jackson, an inmate at Richland Correctional Institute, pleaded guilty this morning to manslaughter and felonious assault in the Sept. 20, 2003, stabbing death of Garland "Pookie'' Marsh...
Illinois Work Injury Lawyers – Krol, Bongiorno & Given, LTD.
Accidents in the workplace are often caused by unsafe work conditions arising from ignoring safety rules, overlooking maintenance or other negligence of those in management. While we are one of the largest firms in Illinois dedicated solely to the representation of injured workers, we pride ourselves on the personal, one-on-one approach we deliver to each client.
Work accidents can cause serious injuries and sometimes permanent damage. Some extremely serious work injuries can permanently hinder a person’s ability to get around and continue their daily duties. Factors that affect one’s quality of life such as place of work, relationships with friends and family, and social standing can all be taken away quickly by a work injury. Although, you may not be able to recover all of your losses, you may be entitled to compensation as a result of your work injury. Krol, Bongiorno & Given, LTD. provides informed advocacy in all kinds of workers’ compensation claims, including:
• Injuries to the back and neck, including severe spinal cord injuries
• Serious head injuries
• Heart problems resulting from workplace activities
• Injuries to the knees, elbows, shoulders and other joints
• Injuries caused by repetitive movements
For Illinois Workers’ Compensation claims, you will ALWAYS cheat yourself if you do not hire an experienced attorney. When you hire Krol, Bongiorno & Given, Ltd, you will have someone to guide you through the process, and when it is time to settle, we will add value to your case IN EXCESS of our fee. In the last few years, employers and insurance carriers have sought to advance the argument that when you settle a case without an attorney, your already low settlement should be further reduced by 20% so that you do not get a “windfall.” Representing yourself in Illinois is a lose-lose proposition.