A son accused of murdering and partially decapitating his father in northern NSW had taken out life insurance in his father's name a short time before his death, Homicide Squad detectives allege.
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Michael Martin, 25, will appear in Lismore Local Court on Monday charged with murdering his Michael Anthony Martin, 46, who was hacked to death in his unit in South Murwillumbah in June last year.
One week ago, Mr Martin jnr joined police to make a public plea for information, urging people to contact detectives if they had any information that could identify his father's killer.
During that appeal, he claimed that he was also present when his father was attacked, and that he was bound and gagged and forced to listen as his father was murdered.
"I could just hear the noises of my father being killed. It was just terrifying. I never expected I'd see my wife and children again," Mr Martin jnr said during that appeal.
However, on Saturday, nine months after Mr Martin snr's death, detectives arrested Mr Martin jnr in Tweed Heads. He has been charged with one count of murder.
Detective Inspector Grant Taylor, from the Homicide Squad, said police would allege in court that money was one of the motivating factors in the crime.
"Police will allege the accused man is responsible for the organisation of the life insurance, and that financial gain was one of the motivating factors for the murder," he said.
When he died, Mr Martin snr had been at his Quarry Street home for less than 24 hours after spending months in hospital recovering from an attack two months earlier, when he was bashed and stabbed in the eye.
Jessica Honey Fallon, a 21-year-old prostitute, has been charged with attempted murder and assault occasioning grievous bodily harm over that assault in April.
Mr Martin jnr claimed that, in the second attack during which Mr Martin snr died, at least one person broke into his father's unit in the early hours of Friday June 13, attacked him and tied him up before killing his father.
He claimed his father's killer left the house, and he was eventually able to free himself and raise the alarm in the early hours of the morning.
"We just got him out [of hospital], just got him better, I was trying to help him to make a new start," Mr Martin jnr said during his public appeal a week ago.
"We would just love these people to be caught so we can move on with our life."
Police who arrived at the home found Mr Martin snr's body and a swag of weapons, including an axe.
Detective Inspector Brendon Cullen, the crime manager at the Tweed Byron Local Area Command, said the investigation into Mr Martin snr's death had been long and complex, and was ongoing.
He said police were still looking for a vehicle seen in Quarry Road on the morning of Mr Martin snr's alleged murder.
The vehicle has been described as a brown coloured Toyota Camry sedan SV21 model, with Queensland registration plates that possibly contain the letter LAC.
"We also want to know about the relationship between the 21-year-old female who we have charged with assaulting Mr Martin snr [in the April attack]. Her relationship with Mr Martin is of very significant interest to us," Detective Inspector Cullen said.
Anyone with information has been urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
