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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Matthew Leveson's mother tells court of torment caused by son's boyfriend | Matthew Leveson's mother tells court of torment caused by son's boyfriend |
| (5 months later) | |
| Faye Leveson speaks with anger about Michael Atkins, who buried the body and kept it a secret for nearly a decade | |
| Australian Associated Press | |
| Fri 25 Aug 2017 05.22 BST | |
| Last modified on Fri 25 Aug 2017 06.48 BST | |
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| Faye Leveson says her son won’t be wearing his favourite suit when his family finally gives him a funeral. | Faye Leveson says her son won’t be wearing his favourite suit when his family finally gives him a funeral. |
| She told the NSW coroner’s court on Friday that parts of Matthew Leveson’s body would probably never be recovered from the Royal National park south of Sydney, and they could not dress a skeleton. | She told the NSW coroner’s court on Friday that parts of Matthew Leveson’s body would probably never be recovered from the Royal National park south of Sydney, and they could not dress a skeleton. |
| “No mum, dad, siblings and soulmate should have to watch their son, brother, soulmate exhumed over a day,” Ms Leveson said. | “No mum, dad, siblings and soulmate should have to watch their son, brother, soulmate exhumed over a day,” Ms Leveson said. |
| People in the courtroom cried as she delivered her closing statement to the inquest into the 20-year-old’s death in September 2007. | People in the courtroom cried as she delivered her closing statement to the inquest into the 20-year-old’s death in September 2007. |
| Leveson said she saw her son exhumed piece by piece three months ago before his bones were arranged on a dirty tarp on the ground. | Leveson said she saw her son exhumed piece by piece three months ago before his bones were arranged on a dirty tarp on the ground. |
| His skull was in pieces, and his hands and feet were among the body parts missing. | His skull was in pieces, and his hands and feet were among the body parts missing. |
| “We had to watch them pack Matty up and place him in white cardboard boxes that were then walked past us and placed in the boot of a car,” she said. | “We had to watch them pack Matty up and place him in white cardboard boxes that were then walked past us and placed in the boot of a car,” she said. |
| “Some of his bones were placed in brown paper bags and taken away on the final day of the search. No one should ever have to see that.” | “Some of his bones were placed in brown paper bags and taken away on the final day of the search. No one should ever have to see that.” |
| She spoke with anger about her son’s then boyfriend, Michael Atkins, who agreed last year to lead police to his remains in exchange for immunity from contempt of court and perjury. | She spoke with anger about her son’s then boyfriend, Michael Atkins, who agreed last year to lead police to his remains in exchange for immunity from contempt of court and perjury. |
| “He buried his body and hid Matty for nine years, eight months and eight days,” Leveson said. “He let us go through hell and torment, knowing all the while where Matt was.” | “He buried his body and hid Matty for nine years, eight months and eight days,” Leveson said. “He let us go through hell and torment, knowing all the while where Matt was.” |
| She held a photo of her son’s bones on a table and another of him smiling for the camera and told Atkins’s legal team: “I want you to look.” | She held a photo of her son’s bones on a table and another of him smiling for the camera and told Atkins’s legal team: “I want you to look.” |
| “If [Atkins] was truly genuine and loved Matt as he says, he would have told us where Matt was on September 23, 2007,” she said. “The only reason he gave us back Matt in May this year is because he was under threat of having to go to jail on perjury charges.” | “If [Atkins] was truly genuine and loved Matt as he says, he would have told us where Matt was on September 23, 2007,” she said. “The only reason he gave us back Matt in May this year is because he was under threat of having to go to jail on perjury charges.” |
| Atkins, now 54, was acquitted of Matthew Leveson’s murder by a supreme court jury in 2009. | Atkins, now 54, was acquitted of Matthew Leveson’s murder by a supreme court jury in 2009. |
| Police offered him the deal to take them to the remains in November 2016 after he admitted lying to them during their investigation and lying under oath while giving evidence to the inquest. | Police offered him the deal to take them to the remains in November 2016 after he admitted lying to them during their investigation and lying under oath while giving evidence to the inquest. |
| In a statement, Atkins gave a new account of the night Leveson died, telling police he decided to bury the body to protect his reputation after he found his young boyfriend dead from a drug overdose. | In a statement, Atkins gave a new account of the night Leveson died, telling police he decided to bury the body to protect his reputation after he found his young boyfriend dead from a drug overdose. |
| The deputy state coroner Elaine Truscott said on Friday she would not force Atkins to give further testimony. | The deputy state coroner Elaine Truscott said on Friday she would not force Atkins to give further testimony. |
| She discharged the subpoena that had previously compelled the 54-year-old to appear, saying he had “no credibility as a witness”. | She discharged the subpoena that had previously compelled the 54-year-old to appear, saying he had “no credibility as a witness”. |
| She said if Atkins was shown to have lied in his most recent statement to police, he could again be at risk of perjury charges. | She said if Atkins was shown to have lied in his most recent statement to police, he could again be at risk of perjury charges. |
| However, she said calling Atkins for the purpose of exposing him to potential perjury charges was well outside her statutory functions. | However, she said calling Atkins for the purpose of exposing him to potential perjury charges was well outside her statutory functions. |
| The inquest has been adjourned until 26 September when submissions will be made in relation to the coroner’s findings. | The inquest has been adjourned until 26 September when submissions will be made in relation to the coroner’s findings. |
| Sydney | |
| New South Wales | |
| Australian police and policing | |
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