Amber Haigh's alleged murderers had motive and opportunity, trial told

CONTENT WARNING: This article contains distressing content.

A married couple had the motive, means and opportunity to murder a teenager in regional NSW over 20 years ago, a prosecutor claimed as the high-profile trial of the pair approached its end.

Robert Samuel Geeves and his wife Anne Margaret Geeves, both 64, both pleaded not guilty to murder in a NSW Supreme Court judge-alone trial that has already run for over nine weeks.

Ms Haigh was only 19 and had a five-month-old baby, fathered by Mr Geeves, when she went missing after living in the area around Young in NSW.

She was last seen by several of the town’s residents on 2 June 2002. Then the Geeveses claimed they drove her to Campbelltown Train Station on 5 June so she could go to visit her ill father in hospital, after which she disappeared. The couple reported her missing on 19 June.

The trial resumed on Monday (12 August) for prosecutor Paul Kerr to deliver his closing submissions.

He said Ms Haigh was described as being happy, bubbly and cherished her child, but also lived with epilepsy as well as an intellectual impairment that made her naive, easily led and open to manipulation.

He then alleged Mr Geeves was “a violent and manipulative man” who “expects to get what he wants” and was prepared to exploit an intellectually disabled girl.

Ms Haigh was the ex-girlfriend of the Geeveses’ own son, but when she moved into the couple’s ‘Huntleigh’ property at Kingsvale, a locality between the towns of Young and Harden, Mr Geeves allegedly manipulated her into a sexual relationship.

This was “tolerated” by Ms Geeves, Mr Kerr alleged, and once it resulted in Ms Haigh becoming pregnant, he claimed the pair realised it could be an opportunity for them to have another child, which Ms Geeves desperately wanted. The couple allegedly came to see Ms Haigh as a “surrogate”.

He said Ms Haigh had moved near ‘Huntleigh’ to live with a family member who openly disliked the Geeveses before she had a short-term relationship with the Geeveses’ son. Afterwards, Mr Kerr alleged Mr Geeves started calling her often as he saw her as “a sexual conquest”.

“They had no real interest in Amber after she gave birth,” he said.

He alleged the Geeveses “treated her badly” at ‘Huntleigh’. Ms Geeves was “constantly interfering” in the care of her baby, and Ms Haigh told several people she was “frightened” of Mr Geeves.

For instance, Ms Haigh claimed he tied her up after telling her he had filmed her having sex with another man.

Mr Kerr also alleged the Geeveses moved Ms Haigh’s baby into their bedroom and claimed she had “lost interest” in the child, although they were the only people who said so.

Ms Haigh’s baby was born in early 2002. Her midwife noted she was “slow to learn, but loving”. Police found her notebook in her bedroom at ‘Huntleigh’ during their investigation.

“How do I feel about living here? I feel like I’m not [my child’s] mummy because I feel like I can’t dress [the child] or anything. I feel like I can’t go to town, if I do I got to be here within two hours or Anne will get the shits … I can’t go to Sydney because they don’t want me to go,” Ms Haigh wrote in the weeks before she disappeared.

In a note from 30 May 2002, she described her child as “the best baby in the world”.

“I love you so very much,” she wrote.

Mr Kerr alleged the motive to murder Ms Haigh was to gain custody of her baby, that they had the opportunity to do so as she stayed at their isolated property, and as she was a vulnerable young woman of slight build, they had the means to as they could have easily overpowered her.

Mr Kerr alleged the Geeveses, who were worried she was going to leave with her child, claimed they dropped her at the train station without her baby – the child Ms Haigh adored and always travelled with.

He argued there was no evidence aside from the Geeveses’ claims and an ATM transaction that suggested this trip even happened. He also noted the Geeveses allegedly lied about not having access to her finances.

Mr Kerr said while Ms Haigh’s body has not been found and her cause of death was not known, he alleged she was not driven to Campbelltown, and it was unlikely she left the Kingsvale area alive.

“Amber would not have voluntarily abandoned her child,” he said.

“No one other than the Geeveses have seen Amber since 2 June 2002.”

The defence lawyers will deliver their closing submissions on Wednesday (14 August). The trial is held before Justice Julia Lonergan.

If you or someone you know needs help, you can contact:

Lifeline’s 24-hour crisis support line – 13 11 14
Suicide Call Back Service – 1300 659 467
Kids Helpline – 1800 551 800 or kidshelpline.com.au
MensLine Australia – 1300 789 978 or mensline.org.au.