Mansell won`t be extradited to WA yet

The man suspected of murdering Perth millionaire Craig Puddy will spend another
night in a Queensland police cell after a federal magistrate ruled an arrest warrant
for him was invalid.
But Cameron Mansell looks likely to be extradited to Western Australia as early as
Wednesday, with WA police set to present a fresh warrant after he reappears in the
Townsville Magistrates Court.
WA police have an aircraft on the ground at the north Queensland city's airport
ready to ferry Mansell back to Perth.
The 38-year-old was arrested last Tuesday after police found him camping rough in
Paluma National Park, north of Townsville.
Tuesday's court ruling came as WA police, assisted by SES volunteers, searched
bushland north of Perth for Mr Puddy's body after a wheelie bin missing from his
luxury home was found there on Sunday.
The 45-year-old disappeared from his Mount Pleasant home in Perth's south on May 3.
In court on Tuesday, federal Magistrate John Coker agreed with Mansell's lawyers and
ruled the WA arrest warrant invalid.
Mansell will remain in the Townsville Watch House overnight.
While no date had been set, Mansell's solicitor Paul Gray said it was likely he
would reappear in the Townsville Magistrates Court on Wednesday.
Mr Gray said the federal magistrate's decision was embarrassing for WA police and
vindicated Mansell's legal team.
"We said it was flawed all along," he told AAP.
"Important civil liberties are at stake here and if people are going to be flown
across the country in handcuffs, then it is not too much to expect that the
paperwork is done properly."
He said two pages of the affidavit were not signed on the warrant and it did not lay
out a charge.
WA Police Commissioner Karl O'Callaghan said police had no choice but to accept the
magistrate's decision but would present a second arrest warrant as soon as possible.
"Upon being made aware that there was a dispute as to the validity of the first
warrant, in the interests of expediency, WA Police has been trying to have a second
warrant served on Mr Mansell in Townsville," Mr O'Callaghan said in a statement.
"Five days later all that has happened is that we have come full circle and are now
back at the point we should (have) been last Thursday."
Mr Gray said the Townsville magistrate would be obliged to release Mansell when he
appeared before him.
But if a new police warrant was valid, it was likely Mansell would be extradited, he
said.
Mr Gray said the food in the watch house was "pretty ordinary" and Mansell had only
been able to sit in his cell and have a few exercise breaks.
"He's in remarkably high spirits for someone in his position."
On Tuesday, WA police on foot and horseback helped by SES volunteers searched rugged
terrain near Two Rocks about 65km north of Perth for Mr Puddy's body.
His wheelie bin was found in the area by two four-wheel-drive enthusiasts on Sunday
and was being examined by forensic officers.
Police on Monday would not say what they discovered inside the bin.
Mansell's Jeep Cherokee was found burnt out in a pine plantation north of Perth only
days after Mr Puddy's disappearance and less than 15km from where the wheelie bin
was found on Sunday.
The former business partner of Mr Puddy underwent 15 hours of police questioning a
week after the millionaire's disappearance, before being released without charge.
After being watched around the clock by police, Mansell slipped surveillance and
flew out of WA under a false name on May 13, sparking a 12-day nationwide manhunt.