A Gold Coast woman convicted of arranging an unsuccessful plot to have her ex-husband killed is expected to be sentenced in the Brisbane Supreme Court.

April 12, 2019

A Gold Coast woman found guilty of arranging a hit on her ex-husband by a man who took her cash, but ran off without killing him, is expected to learn her fate.

Theresa Dalton, 67, paid $20,000 to have Malcolm Stewart killed in early 2010, after their 24-year marriage broke down some three years earlier.

Dalton wanted Mr Stewart dead because she feared he would take too big a share of the $3 million in assets they were splitting during their divorce.

“The accused at this time was going ’round the twist with a property settlement that, let’s face it, resembled World War III,” crown prosecutor Michael Lehane told the jury during her trial.

“We have extreme circumstances where we have such pure hatred and real venom and murderous intent was formed by the accused.”

The court heard the former flight attendant badgered her then-boyfriend Anthony Werner to arrange the hit after she learned his old friend Matthew Neels had a “sleazy” reputation.

Mr Neels agreed to kill Mr Stewart and travelled to the Gold Coast, where Werner handed over half of his agreed fee.

But he bolted back to his NSW home without carrying out the deed.

Ultimately, Mr Neels proved to be a thief, not a killer.

He falsely claimed to Dalton their plan to kill Mr Stewart had been discovered – the deal was off.

During Dalton’s trial, Mr Neels testified he never intended to kill Mr Stewart and spent the money on fishing holidays and household goods.

In March, Dalton was convicted of arranging for Mr Stewart to be killed.

She will be sentenced in Brisbane Supreme Court on Friday.