National

Hospital hearing for man charged with mother's murder

By AAP Newswire

Mar 10, 2023

An ambulance outside Princess Alexandra Hospital (filre image) — A magistrate will hold a bedside hearing at Princess Alexandra Hospital for a man accused of murder. -AAP Image

A Queensland man accused of murdering his mother will face his first court appearance via a bedside hearing in Brisbane's Princess Alexandra Hospital.

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Leonard James Llewellyn Smetheram, 36, was charged on Friday with the murder of his mother Margarette Smetheram.

Her body was found at a home at Kallangur, north of Brisbane, on Thursday.

Smetheram, also from Kallangur, was due to appear before Pine Rivers Magistrates Court on Friday, but the police prosecutor told the court he would not be able to be released from hospital for 48 hours.

The magistrate ordered a bedside hearing at the hospital on Friday, rather than adjourn the matter until Monday.

Smetheram's solicitor Brendan Whelan said outside court he would seek a six-week adjournment to request a brief of evidence in the case.

"I haven't spoken to (Smetheram) at all. There's just the bedside hearing. We'll get an adjournment and proceed from there," he said.

Mr Whelan said he would find out why his client was in hospital when he got a chance to speak with him.

All defendants charged with murder must appear before the Supreme Court in order to seek bail.

By AAP Newswire

Australian Associated Press