Hugo Wran, Jill Wran and Harriet Wran at Neville Wran’s funeral / Picture: Craig Greenhill
THE daughter of former premier Neville Wran was last night charged with murder over the stabbing death of a man at a Redfern unit block.
Harriet Wran, the youngest daughter of the former Labor state leader, who died at the age of 87 on April 20, was yesterday confirmed by police as a person of interest in the murder of 48-year-old Daniel McNulty and the stabbing of another man, Brett Fitzgerald.
She was charged early this morning with murder, attempted murder and aggravated break and enter.
After spending the night in a cell, she was escorted out of Cabramatta Police Station just before 9.30am.
She was sitting on the right hand side of the white police wagon with her face turned away, dressed in what appeared to be a grey jumpsuit.
She is to appear in front of a magistrate at Liverpool Local Court at 11am.
The Wran family have briefed prominent barrister Winston Terracini SC to act on Ms Wran’s behalf.
Fronting media this morning, Mr Terracini said bail would not be applied for.
“We are not going to make a bail application tomorrow,” Mr Terracini said.
“It will be a five minute job, we turn up, bail will be refused, won’t be applied for.”
The former University of Sydney student, and goddaughter of Kerry Packer, handed herself into Cabramatta Police Station just after 5pm, along with a 30-year-old man, Michael Lee, who was also wanted for questioning.
Lee was also charged with murder, attempted murder and aggravated break and enter, and will appear at Liverpool Local Court today.
The shock twist came just hours after 29-year-old Lloyd Edward Haines yesterday faced Parramatta Local Court for the murder of Mr McNulty on Sunday night.
Senior police sources confirmed to The Daily Telegraph that Wran, 26, and a 30-year- old man of Asian appearance were wanted in connection with the double stabbing at the Walker St unit block.
In a statement announcing Haines’ arrest, police said they were looking for a man and woman also believed to be inside the apartment at the time.
McNulty died at the scene shortly after paramedics were called about 7.45pm, while Mr Fitzergerald was taken to St Vincent’s Hospital with multiple stab wounds. His condition is stable.
The 48-year-old moved to Sydney from Byron Bay two years ago and was on a methadone program battling a heroin addiction, a friend said.
The man, who did not want to be named, said Mr McNulty had a nine-year-old daughter and was separated from his wife.
“He was a good guy. He was affable, friendly, charismatic,” a neighbour said
Wran was wearing jeans and a blue shirt at the time of the arrest, and had her brown hair worn up, police say.
Detectives yesterday went to the family home in Woollahra in search of Wran, but neither Harriet or her mother Jill, Mr Wran’s wife of more than 30 years, were home, leaving the youngest child Hugo, 23, to try to contact his family.
“I’ve been informed, that’s all, sorry I can’t answer any questions,” he told The Daily Telegraph last night.
Jill Wran was last night organising to return to Sydney from Brisbane to support her daughter.
Harriet and her younger brother Hugo, the youngest of Mr Wran’s five children, read poems during a state memorial service for their father, who died aged 87 after a long struggle with dementia.
The siblings sat side by side in the front row of the Sydney Town Hall for the service for their father, who served as NSW premier from 1976 to 1986.
Mr Wran was best known during his time in government for instigating NSW’s largest capital works program. His government built the modern-day Darling Harbour precinct.
The lawyer from working class Balmain — who famously once said Balmain boys don’t cry — was a political rarity in deciding when to retire undefeated.
Harriet read a Shakespearean sonnet at the funeral, following speeches from former prime minister Paul Keating and Bob Carr.
Haines, who handed himself into police, did not appear in the dock of Parramatta Local Court and his bail was formally refused on charges of murder, attempted murder and aggravated break and enter.
His case returns to Parramatta Court on October 9.
source: Dailytelegraph.com.au
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