Hunt for missing man still a riddle

SydneyThe West Australian
Mother Faye Leveson at the scene of the search.
Camera IconMother Faye Leveson at the scene of the search. Credit: The West Australian

The search for missing man Matthew Leveson is set to enter its fifth day after police were led to dense bushland south of Sydney by his former lover.

Family and friends of Mr Leveson, who was last seen leaving Darlinghurst’s ARQ nightclub in the early hours of September 23, 2007, have spent days watching as police used a digger to rip through matted undergrowth and scour the bush for remains.

The small team have combed the uneven ground covered with fallen trees using surveying equipment but so far have not unearthed any trace of Mr Leveson.

Investigators were led there by Michael Atkins, 46, Mr Leveson’s former lover, who was acquitted of his murder in 2009.

For nine years he had refused to tell the family what had happened to Mr Leveson, 20, but relented after being forced to give evidence at a NSW coronial inquest.

He admitted lying to police and revealed he had been offered conditional immunity from prosecution. Police began searching bush after the inquest last week.

Mr Atkins had always said he thought Mr Leveson would return and suggested he may have vanished to Thailand to start a new life.

His family did not believe this, with Mr Leveson’s father Mark asking last week if the “lies” were the best he could come up with after nine years.

According to Mr Atkins initial story, the men had left the ARQ nightclub sometime between 2am and 3am because his younger lover had taken too many drugs and was pulling “manky faces”.

That was the last time Mr Leveson was seen alive.

That same day Mr Atkins bought a mattock and tape and sensationally claimed they were for digging a vegetable garden at the Cronulla unit the men shared.

Two days later, Mr Atkins and Mr Leveson’s parents, Mark and Faye, reported him missing after he failed to turn up for work.

His parents have never stopped looking for Mr Leveson and fought to have a coronial inquest reopened, hoping something would lead them to the remains of their son.

There were angry scenes at the search yesterday as Mr Leveson’s brother Jason attacked media crews at the site.

Jason Leveson yelled “vultures” and grabbed at several cameras as photographers and TV crews filmed a woman placing flowers at the Royal National Park.

His mother told her son to “stop it” before he was escorted away.

The search for Mr Leveson will continue today.

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