Co-accused Anne Margaret Geeves was arrested at Harden earlier this month by NSW Police. Photo: NSW Police.
Amber Haigh murder co-accused Anne Margaret Geeves, set to face Young Local Court yesterday (17 May), could not appear due to illness.
Represented by solicitor Fiona Sams, the court was told Mrs Geeves was currently housed in a prison hospital due to an undisclosed illness and would not be able to face the magistrate as scheduled.
The 61-year-old had been due to appear before Magistrate Jillian Kiely via audiovisual link.
This was to be Mrs Geeves’ second court appearance after NSW Police arrested her and her former husband Robert Samuel Geeves, 61, at their Harden home on 4 May.
Later that day the couple were charged with the alleged murder of Kingsvale teen Amber Haigh who disappeared 20 years ago.
Ms Haigh, 19, was reported missing on 19 June 2002 after failing to return to her Kingsvale home where she and her six-month-old son had been living with Anne and Robert Geeves.
Police were told the couple dropped Amber off on Wednesday 5 June that year at Campbelltown Train Station, where she intended to travel by train to Mt Druitt to visit her sick father in hospital.
Later that day, money was withdrawn from her bank account at an ATM on Queen Street, Campbelltown.
Mother-of-one Amber Haigh was just 19 years of age when she disappeared in June 2002. Photo: NSW Police.
Despite extensive investigations by police over the years – including numerous public appeals and a reward for information – Amber has not been located and the circumstances of her disappearance remained undetermined.
In 2011, a coronial inquest found Amber to be deceased, having died as a result of homicide or other misadventure in early June 2002.
In 2020, a formal review of the case was conducted under the Homicide Squad’s Unsolved Homicide framework and a re-investigation commenced by detectives attached to Strike Force Villamar II.
Last month, the NSW Police Force and the NSW Government announced the reward for information relating to Amber’s suspected murder had been increased to $1 million.
When Ms Geeves first appeared in Cowra Local Court earlier this month her solicitor Clive Hill said his client had medical concerns. While he did not apply for bail at that time, Mr Hill indicated an application would be forthcoming.
Ms Geeves did not apply for bail either yesterday and it was formally refused. She is due to face court again on 5 July.
Mr Geeves who, in addition to the murder charge, has been charged with ‘aggravated sexual assault – victim with serious intellectual disability’, was refused bail when he appeared before Magistrate Jillian Kiely in Cowra Local Court on May 5.
He is due to appear in Young Local Court on 5 July.
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