An alleged black-market euthanasia ring, possibly connected to more than 20 deaths, has been exposed with the help of an undercover police officer.
The man at the centre of the investigation, Brett Daniel Taylor, 53, was not required to appear at Southport Magistrates Court, Gold Coast, on Thursday.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Trio charged over alleged black market assisted dying operation
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During the brief court mention, Taylor’s solicitor Billy Gee did not apply for bail and asked for an adjournment.
Taylor is accused of running a fake whale euthanasia charity to sell pentobarbital, a drug normally used to euthanise animals, to vulnerable people who did not meet Queensland’s strict voluntary assisted dying criteria.
He is charged with aiding suicide over the death of 43-year-old quadriplegic David Llewellyn Bedford at Hope Island on April 11.
A second count relates to an alleged aiding in a suicide between September 4 and 12 at Southport, which involved the undercover officer.
He is also charged with trafficking pentobarbital between July 2024 and September 2025, possessing the drug on September 9 at Southport, and receiving property obtained from trafficking on September 12 at Main Beach.
Police alleged Taylor ran a business called End of Life Services and sourced the drug under false pretences through a front charity, Cetacean Compassion Australia Ltd, claiming to euthanise distressed whales.
Detectives said he deliberately targeted vulnerable people and profited from the operation.
The investigation began after Bedford, a former chef left paralysed by a car crash in 2022, died from pentobarbital toxicity with about 20 other deaths being investigated.
Taylor’s father, 80, and an 81-year-old woman, Elaine Arch-Rowe, are also facing charges.
Elaine Arch-Rowe faced court on Tuesday, accused of trying to supply the lethal drug to a person who was later revealed to be an undercover police officer.
Police alleged she brought life-ending veterinary drugs to an RSL seminar in a bid to sell them.
Magistrate Deborah Mitchell heard police had intercepted communications with Arch-Rowe discussing with Taylor how to obtain two types of fatal drug.
During a videoconference Arch-Rowe allegedly said, “to get access to the product from the manufacturer we need to give a large percentage to be used legitimately.”
Arch-Rowe was later released from a Gold Coast watchhouse after being granted bail despite the prosecution’s opposition.
She is due to return to court on October 17.
The 80-year-old man has been charged with trafficking and possessing dangerous drugs and is due in court on September 26.
Taylor was remanded in custody and is due back in court on October 7.
His lawyer did not comment as he left court.
- With AAP
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