Meagher accused’s committal to go ahead


Updated: 14:05, Tuesday March 5, 2013

Meagher accused's committal to go ahead

The man charged with raping and murdering Melbourne woman Jill Meagher has been accused of raping her three times before killing her.

Adrian Ernest Bayley, 41, has lost a bid to delay next week’s committal hearing over the rape and murder of the 29-year-old as she walked home from a Brunswick bar last September.

His lawyer Helen Spowart on Tuesday said prosecutors had served Bayley with two additional charges of rape against Ms Meagher at a court hearing in January.

The defence needed more time to gather independent reports on DNA and textile evidence relevant to the charges, Ms Spowart told the Melbourne Magistrates Court.

She asked that next week’s hearing be adjourned for four weeks because the independent experts were extremely busy and unable to compile their reports and provide instructions to the defence in time.

Deputy Chief Magistrate Felicity Broughton refused the application.

‘We’re all very busy,’ she said.

‘I don’t think there’s anyone in this room who isn’t a very busy person.

‘I’m satisfied that there is sufficient time for those inquiries to be made.’

Ms Spowart said analyses by police scientists of DNA and clothing, including damage to clothing, were relevant to the charges and Bayley’s independent experts needed to conduct their own examination of the materials and the notes of the police scientists.

Chief Crown prosecutor Gavin Silbert SC said he ‘very vigorously’ opposed the adjournment.

He said materials being sought by the defence could be made available on Tuesday.

Ms Meagher’s husband, Tom, sat in the courtroom to hear the proceedings.

Bayley has a filing hearing listed for the same court on Friday after being separately charged with rape and false imprisonment over two sexual assaults in the St Kilda area in April and July last year.

He appeared in court last month after being charged with seven new offences, including three counts of rape.

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