Walcha murder: Natasha Beth Darcy has murder charge adjourned in court as Legal Aid considers 16 volumes of evidence

Natasha Beth Darcy remains in custody and did not appear in Tamworth Local Court on Wednesday morning but agent solicitor Garry Johnston said Randall Legal had been engaged in the case.

Darcy, also known as Darcy-Crossman, is accused of killing her de-facto partner Mathew Dunbar at Pandora – the property they lived off the Thunderbolts Way, on the outskirts of Walcha, in the early hours of August 2, 2017.

Mr Johnston said “there’s been some mix-ups with Legal Aid” but to “make a long story” short more evidence had only just been served.

He said a “13-volume file” was served on Darcy’s newly engaged defence team on July 19.

“A further three volumes have been served,” Mr Johnston told the court. 

“[There was] some difficulty with the previous firm providing the brief. 

“Legal Aid has resolved that.”

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Mr Johnson said he had been instructed to ask for an eight week adjournment for the new defence to examine the evidence “so the brief can be properly considered”.

He said it was a “very, very complex brief”.

“At this point in time they have not had an opportunity to consider the brief,” he said.

Magistrate Julie Soars declined the long adjournment, saying it was too long, and was “blowing out in terms of the time”.

“I’ll give it six weeks … it’s in Ms Darcy’s interest to get this matter to the Supreme Court,” she said, ordering the case back to court in September.

Ms Soars marked the court papers that “there was a delay in transferring the brief” and the adjournment would allow for “negotiations to commence”.

“It’s a matter of starting that process,” she said. Darcy made no application for bail and it was formally refused.