NSW: Alleged gay lover killer declines to appear in court =2

AAP General News (Australia)
08-06-2008
NSW: Alleged gay lover killer declines to appear in court =2

Mr Leveson was last seen by his brother Peter at the popular gay club ARQ on September
23, when he left the inner-Sydney nightspot with Atkins, with whom he was living at the
time.

Atkins later told police he had seen him the next day in Cronulla.

But Mr Leveson was only reported missing when he did not turn up to work at a Hurstville
call centre on September 25.

Two days later, police found Mr Leveson's empty Toyota Seca at Waratah Oval in Sutherland,
just a short distance from his home.

According to police documents tendered in court today, Atkins has been charged with
murdering Mr Leveson sometime on September 23.

It was an emotional Leveson family who fronted the media outside Sutherland Local Court
today, with mother Faye, and Matthew's brothers Peter and Jason, fighting back tears as
Mark Leveson spoke to reporters.

Mr Leveson said he was happy the process of prosecuting Matthew's alleged killer was
now underway, and the family were now concerned with finding his son's body.

"It's been a frustrating process, the whole time, with delays, that these things unfortunately
do take time," he said.

"We ourselves have spent weekends going through the sandhills at Kurnell, looking through
the national park, just in a failed attempt that we might find some news ourselves - but
of course to no avail."

"If the accused person is guilty, then of course they would know (the location of Matthew's
body)."

Friends and family have set up pages on social networking sites Facebook and Myspace
in an effort to locate Mr Leveson's body.

AAP ab/wjf/jt/de

KEYWORD: LEVESON COURT 2 SYDNEY

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