A man accused of brutally murdering a father-of-two has been denied bail after being declared an unacceptable flight risk.
Emergency services were called to a home at Mount Tamborine, west of Queensland’s Gold Coast, just after midday on June 29, 2023.
They found 37-year-old Matthew Berry with fatal injuries to his head and upper body.
The Gold Coast builder was living at the home after separating from his wife Edwina, who made the grim discovery.
Mr Berry’s childhood friend Daniel Robert McJannett, of Paradise Point, was charged with murder a week later.
He was also accused of stealing CCTV equipment from Mr Berry’s home and possessing a large amount of cannabis.
Police alleged McJannett bashed his friend to death with a gym weight, just two years after he stood beside Mr Berry as a groomsman at his wedding.
The now-39-year-old faced the Queensland Supreme Court in Brisbane on Thursday via video-link to apply for bail on his own behalf.
Father-of-two Matthew Berry (pictured on his wedding day) was found dead by his estranged wife at a Mount Tamborine home in 2023
Daniel Robert McJannett (pictured) is charged with the murder of his childhood friend Matthew Berry. He applied for bail on Thursday, which was denied.
Matthew Berry’s family and friends (right) are pictured leaving Brisbane Supreme Court on Thursday after his alleged killer was refused bail
Mr Berry’s family and friends, including his estranged wife, attended Thursday’s court hearing.
Due to the seriousness of the charge, McJannett needed to show cause for why his detention was unjustified, Justice Peter Callaghan said.
‘He has been convicted many times for drug-related offending and there is also a record for weapons offending,’ the judge said.
‘There is nothing that suggests he was capable of the violence that attended the brutal murder for which he is now charged.’
McJannett said he would look for work and ‘things like that’ if he was granted bail, confirming he was a qualified glazier and crane operator.
Crown prosecutor Zachary Kaplan argued in court that the 39-year-old should not be released due to his record of committing serious crimes while on bail and parole.
‘The case against him in relation to murder is a strong one,’ Mr Kaplan said.
‘When he appears before the Supreme Court for trial, it will signify the third occasion in a decade that he has been before the state’s highest court and now for the gravest offence in our criminal code.’
Matt Berry was discovered deceased at a residence owned by his mother and stepfather in the Gold Coast hinterland two years ago. Pictured are police investigating the scene.
Daniel Robert McJannett (right) was a groomsman at his childhood friend’s wedding just two years before the alleged murder
The prosecution also questioned the credibility of McJannett’s promise to seek counseling for ‘some unspecified, untreated, undiagnosed underlying issue’ if he were granted bail.
‘That all casts the inevitable conclusion that Mr McJannett is an unacceptable risk of committing further offences,’ Mr Kaplan said.
Justice Callaghan said McJannett had made valid submissions but even stringent bail conditions would not be suitable.
‘He faces a potentially strong case and the consequences of conviction will be severe so his incentive to flee is high,’ he said.
‘His record for drug offending by itself suggests he is a risk of further offences if granted bail.’
Justice Callaghan refused bail and noted both McJannett and prosecutors wanted the case to proceed swiftly to trial.
