A MAGISTRATE has criticised the delays in a 2015 murder case after lawyers asked for another lengthy adjournment.
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Bradley Craig Mottram has been in custody since the day of the alleged murder in Inverell on October 19, 2015.
He is charged with the stabbing murder of his 51-year-old mother, Simone Mottram, at her Froude St house.
Mottram appeared via video link in Armidale Local Court on Wednesday and said “hello” as he took a seat in front of the camera.
“This matter has been dragging on and on and on and on,” Magistrate Michael Holmes told the court, requesting to know what the hold-ups were.
This matter has been dragging on and on and on and on.
- Magistrate Michael Holmes
Legal Aid solicitor Wendy McAuliffe said “a report has now been served on my friend”, referring to a specialist psychiatrist report.
“In fairness that was only served [on Tuesday] on the DPP.”
Mr Holmes said the papers had marked that the case would “resolve” on Wednesday one way or another, because “this matter has been going for so long”.
Ms McAuliffe said the hold-up had been in compiling the specialist medical report.
"Part of the hold up had been Justice Health notes … which only arrived in my office last week,” she told the court.
Part of the hold up had been Justice Health notes … which only arrived in my office last week.
- Legal Aid solicitor Wendy McAuliffe
DPP solicitor Kate Biffin said the Crown “needs time to consider the report”.
"To consider the material and the offer that has been made," she told the court.
She said the brief of evidence and the paperwork in the case were available in court and “ready to commit”, if the court wanted to proceed.
To consider the material and the offer that has been made.
- DPP solicitor Kate Biffin
Mr Holmes granted one final adjournment, he said, to allow the DPP to consider the report and the offer, but marked the papers for committal to the Supreme Court in July.
“Look there has been hold-ups for a whole variety of issues,” he told Mottram.
Mottram made no application for bail.
Police allege the then 19-year-old stabbed his mother several times and then fled the house.
He was arrested on Copeton Dam Rd, more than 30 minutes away, after allegedly crashing his mother’s red Hyundai Getz down an embankment.