SA: Scientific witness first up in Snowtown committal

AAP General News (Australia)
12-06-2000
SA: Scientific witness first up in Snowtown committal

ADELAIDE, Dec 6 AAP - Three pathologists and a fingerprint expert will be among the
first witnesses called in the committal hearing of the Snowtown bodies-in-the-barrels
murder case set to begin next week.

Despite defence requests for more time to prepare, Magistrate David Gurry today ruled
that he would start taking evidence as scheduled in the Adelaide Magistrates Court next
Monday.

Mr Gurry said he believed the court could deal with witnesses whose testimony was unlikely
to be affected by new material just delivered by the prosecution.

Several police officers would also among the first group of witnesses.

But after that initial group it was expected the hearing would then be adjourned until
late in January.

Before the court today were Robert Joe Wagner, 28, John Justin Bunting, 34, Mark Ray
Haydon, 42 and James Spyridon Vlassakis, 20.

Wagner, Bunting and Haydon have all been charged with 10 counts of murder in relation
to the discovery of eight bodies in barrels in a disused bank vault at Snowtown in South
Australia's mid-north in May last year and two bodies buried in the backyard of a house
at suburban Salisbury.

Vlassakis has been charged with five counts of murder.

Defence counsel for all men asked this morning for the calling of witnesses to be delayed
until after Christmas to help them properly consider all the material and witness statements
from the Crown.

Counsel for Wagner, Stephen Apps, said preparations for his defence were harder because
every statement had to be dictated onto a tape because of Wagner's reading difficulties.

Mr Apps argued that a delay in calling witnesses until January would probably save
time in the long run with counsel better prepared for what might come out in court.

AAP tjd/mjm/br

KEYWORD: SNOWTOWN (CARRIED EARLIER)

2000 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.