Phone taps leading up to the arrest of a trio accused of murdering a 51-year-old man in the Nowra CBD last year can be revealed after a young Warilla father made his second bid for bail.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Joshua Edwards, 22, appeared before Wollongong Local Court on Friday, charged with murder, aggravated robbery with wounding or grievous bodily harm, attempted robbery in company, and stealing a car following his arrest earlier this week.
Formal pleas are yet to be entered.
Two 17-year-olds were also arrested and charged with the same offences as Edwards, with an additional charge each of aggravated entering of a dwelling with intent.
While no charges were laid against the trio for more than a year, the State Crime Command Homicide squad had been honing in on them for some time through surveillance and phone taps after Strike Force Lodder was established to investigate the murder of Michael Kerr.
Kerr was found by witnesses lying face down on the roadway at Nowra Lane about 4.20am on January 4 last year, according to court documents. He had been living in Greenwell Point for a month prior to the incident.
Police will allege the trio drove a stolen white Mitsubishi from Warilla, with CCTV allegedly capturing them stopping at a Shellharbour service station and Bomaderry service station on the way to Nowra in the early hours of January 4.
It is alleged the they agreed to initially rob the Mobil Service Station on Kalandar Street in East Nowra, however changed plans when the two teenagers reportedly seeing a sign stating "only $100 cash held on premises" upon arrival.
Police will allege CCTV shows Edwards behind the wheel of the Mitsubishi when it drives away from the service station about 4.05am.
At the time Kerr was allegedly seen walking towards Haigh Avenue and into an unlit area of Worrigee Street after he visited his girlfriend at the Shoalhaven Hospital.
Police allege Edwards stopped the car in this vicinity about 4.12am, while the two teenagers got out of the car and attacked Kerr.
It is alleged there was a short confrontation before Kerr was stabbed by one of the teenagers, before they returned to the car with $30 and Kerr's mobile phone.
A witness allegedly saw Kerr on the roadway with blood under his face. They called triple-0 and Kerr was taken to Shoalhaven Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
A post-mortem examination showed the cause of death to be a stab wound to the upper rear left shoulder, according to court documents.
Meantime police will allege the trio drove back to the Illawarra and were seen on CCTV at Warilla McDonald's about 5am.
The Mitsubishi was recovered in the car park of a unit complex at Lake Illawarra the week after the alleged incident.
In court on Friday, defence lawyer Stewart Holt argued Edwards, a father-of-five, was not involved in the brutal attack due to being in the car.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Sean Thackeray said regardless of whether Edwards' was involved in the alleged murder, he will serve a significant sentence for the other charges if convicted.
Magistrate Greg Elks denied Edwards' bail application, pointing to his lengthy criminal record, adding that phone taps "bolster" the prosecution case to be a "strong one".
He will return to Nowra Local Court in March. The two teenagers, who were refused bail on Wednesday, will reappear before a children's court.
Phone taps
The Mercury can reveal about 12 minutes after Kerr was allegedly stabbed that police allege phone records show his mobile made a call to a number used by one of the teenagers.
On January 11 last year, police will allege phone records identified Kerr's mobile was activated with a number registered in Edwards' name.
A phone intercept warrant was granted to investigators a few days later, with a number of tapped calls allegedly identifying Edwards as using the slain man's phone.
Police will allege Edwards then purchased another phone in Shellharbour on February 14 last year, before they were granted another intercept warrant on a new number allegedly used by him.
During November 24 last year, police will allege phone taps uncovered the following conversation between Edwards and a relative:
Relative: "Oi listen don't say a word. I was just on the phone to homicide d-ckhead for that Nowra stabbing, you f---ing idiot c---."
Edwards: "Mmm. F--- off."
Relative: "They are Josh." ... "Don't say nothing" ... "Now get off the phone to me and forget that we talked."
In another conversation, Edwards allegedly tells the relative he is "thinking about going for a tatt" to "hide my facial appearance a bit".
Edwards allegedly then discusses how a "driver would only get like a year and a half" to which his relative allegedly responded:
"I know of a bloke that was an accessory, didn't even know the murder happened and he was sitting in the car outside and he had five years put straight on him."
Read more Illawarra court and crime stories here.
Grace Crivellaro
Court reporter for the Illawarra Mercury.
Court reporter for the Illawarra Mercury.
