Man accused of Kendall murder pleads guilty to traffic offence

According to the police fact sheet submitted to the court, police stopped Luke Willcockson, 37, on Kadine Crescent, Port Macquarie after conducting a check upon the registration of his white Toyota Corolla sedan around 3.16pm on July, 30, 2023.

Police first conducted a check on the registration of the vehicle as it travelled in a northerly direction up Kennedy Drive, past the intersection of Kaballa Avenue.

When Willcockson stopped for police at the intersection of Kadina Crescent and Merinda Drive, police discovered the Queensland number plates attached to the sedan belonged to another vehicle.

The registration for Willcockson's sedan expired in February 2023 and had subsequently been cancelled in May of that year.

Police asked Willcockson to produce a driver's licence and ID.

He failed to do so but admitted he believed his licence had expired and stated his name.

According to court documents, Willcockson had been disqualified from holding or obtaining a driver's licence by Port Macquarie Local Court between April 16, 2019 and March 24, 2020.

As the period of disqualification had ended and he had not held a driver's licence in the last five years, Willcockson was deemed to have never held a driver's licence.

Willcockson submitted to a roadside drug test which gave a positive indication of methylamphetamine.

He was placed under arrest for the purpose of a secondary oral fluid test and taken to Port Macquarie station.

The sample of oral fluid tested positive to methylamphetamine.

A sample sent to the NSW Forensic and Analytical Science Service at Lidcombe for analysis also found the drug present.

According to court documents, Willcockson told police he had swallowed meth three or four days prior after receiving bad news from his doctor regarding the prospect of being unable to regain full use of his left arm following a recent motor vehicle accident.

Willcockson was later issued an infringement notice for use of an unregistered vehicle and displaying unauthorised plates.

Willcockson wasn't required to appear in court for the sentencing of the matter in Port Macquarie Local Court before Magistrate Pauline Wright on Thursday, April 4.

His lawyers confirmed that a plea of guilty was entered for the charge.

The defence told the court they accepted that the charge was not at the lower end of offending given the drug in Willcockson's system was methlyamphetamine.

Magistrate Wright noted in court that Willcockson had one prior offence of a similar nature in 2013.

In her sentencing, she ordered Willcockson to pay $1000 and disqualified him from holding a driver's licence for 10 months starting from April 4, 2024.

Willcockson is currently in custody for the alleged murder of Paul Davy on November 22, 2023.

Emergency services received reports that a man had been shot at the front of a home on Batar Creek Road, Kendall around 6.40pm on Wednesday, November 22, 2023.

Members of the public commenced CPR prior to the arrival of paramedics, however the man, Mr Davy, died at the scene.

In addition to the murder charge, Willcockson has been accused of attempting to have a witness provide misleading information and being in possession of 1.94 grams of methylamphetamine.

Coolongolook man Michael Nicholas Hatzigeorgiou, North Haven woman Ashleigh Shields and Kendall woman Julia Ann Jeffrey have all been charged with concealing the alleged murder from authorities.

Hatzigeorgiou has also been charged with being an accessory after the fact to the alleged murder and Jeffrey has been accused of providing false information.

The prosecution told the court that further material was to be served in relation to this matter.

Magistrate Wright adjourned the four cases to May 23, 2024.