NSW judge grants costs to Geeveses after Amber Haigh murder acquittal

A New South Wales Supreme Court judge has ruled that the prosecution of Anne and Robert Geeves for the murder of Amber Haigh was ‘foredoomed to fail’, allowing the couple to seek reimbursement for legal costs.

Ms Haigh, a 19-year-old mother, disappeared in June 2002. The Geeves, who lived in Kingsvale at the time, were arrested and charged with her murder in 2022 but were subsequently acquitted following a judge-alone trial.

Justice Julia Lonergan found that the prosecution was unreasonable, specifically citing flaws in the weight given to a witness account from 2021 and certain police recordings. The ruling follows the couple's acquittal in a case involving a disappearance that occurred over two decades ago.