Alleged love triangle murder plotter Lisa Lines appears at SA Supreme Court for bail bid

The woman at the centre of an alleged love triangle murder plot is making a bid for freedom.

Lisa Margaret Lines appeared at South Australian Supreme Court on Thursday, where she is charged with attempted murder and conspiring to commit murder for a set of convoluted alleged plots to knock off her former partner Jonathon Hawtin and his mother Rhonda between 2017 and 2023.

Dominic Agresta, appearing for Ms Lines, confirmed his client was seeking bail and hoped to live with either her mother or brother while her case goes to trial.

The police have charged her and Zacharia Bruckner, a former lover, with trying to kill Mr Hawtin in October 2017 at an Adelaide Hills address.

The pair are also charged with conspiring to commit murder for allegedly plotting to kill Mr Hawtin and his mother Rhonda through a hit man from between December 29, 2021, and November 15, 2023.

Ms Lines and Mr Bruckner have both pleaded not guilty to the charges and will contest them at trial.

On Thursday, Mr Agresta sought orders from Justice Rachael Gray for records detailing Ms Lines’ medical treatment and requests for care while incarcerated on remand, which he said he needed to advance Ms Lines’ bail application.

Ms Lines has been in custody since her arrest in the Pacific nation of Palau and then extradition to Adelaide in November 2023.

She appeared in court via videolink and sat quietly throughout the proceedings.

The prosecution oppose bail and submissions on the matter will be heard on May 22.

Police say the squall of violence started in 2017 when Mr Bruckner allegedly attacked Mr Hawtin with an axe, striking him in the neck.

Mr Bruckner then shot himself with a gun, the police claim, so the axe attack would appear to be in self-defence.

Mr Hawtin was left a tetraplegic from the alleged attack.

A third alleged offender, Letiticia Fortune, is also charged with attempted murder for an alleged attempt on Mr Hawtin’s life while he lay in hospital recovering from the axe attack.

The police say Ms Fortune plotted to smother Mr Hawtin with a pillow but was stopped by hospital security guards and fled the scene.

Prosecutors claim Ms Fortune and Ms Lines were lovers at the time.

Ms Fortune, who has been granted bail, pleaded not guilty to her charge in Adelaide Magistrates Court in February and she will be arraigned at the Supreme Court in May.

Police initially believed Mr Hawtin had tried to kill Mr Bruckner after he started a relationship with Ms Lines.

Mr Hawtin was acquitted of attempted murder following a trial at the South Australian Supreme Court in 2019.

Ms Lines left Australia and settled in Taiwan following Mr Hawtin’s acquittal.

She holds a PhD in social sciences from Flinders University.