Magistrate Cracks Whip Over Case
Illawarra Mercury
Thursday September 19, 2002
A Wollongong magistrate has questioned why it has taken four months to produce pathology and DNA results in the case against a Mt Ousley man charged with the murder of his adoptive mother.
Magistrate Paul Johnson asked who was ``responsible for cracking the whip" after a Director of Public Prosecutions solicitor asked for another four-week adjournment in the matter.
He was informed it was the job of the police officer in charge of the case, who had been told that the delay was caused by a massive backlog of jobs at analytical laboratories in Sydney.
Wollongong Local Court then heard that the lab is 110 jobs behind, with 3400 statewide cases on its list.
The pathology analysis was more complex in this matter because of the badly decomposed body of Irene Ritchie, which was found by police at Maddens Plains on May 30.
Mrs Ritchie, 87, who was dependant on oxygen and medication, had disappeared from her Jobson Ave home on February 14.
She lived with her son, 55-year-old pensioner Geoffrey Robert Ritchie, who has been charged with her murder.
He has not yet entered a plea and yesterday did not apply for bail.
He will remain on remand until his next court appearance on October 16, when he will reply to the police brief of evidence against him.
© 2002 Illawarra Mercury