Accused killer's name change a mystery

Daniel Morcombe. Picture: Supplied. Source: The Courier-Mail

Daniel's parents Denise and Bruce Morcombe arrive at court for day one of the committal hearing. Picture: Philip Norrish. Source: news.com.au

Daniel Morcombe touched the heart of a nation. Picture: Supplied.
Source: The Courier-Mail

• Brett Peter Cowan changed his name to Shadoo Nunya Hunter
• The meaning of Cowan's new name remains a mystery
• Cowan to be addressed by his natural name at trial

DEFENCE lawyers for the man accused of Daniel Morcombe's murder do not know why their client changed his name prior to his arrest.

Brett Peter Cowan changed his name to Shadoo (pronounced Shadow) Nunya Hunter in the years between Daniel's disappearance and the 2010 inquest into his suspected murder, at which Cowan was a person of interest.

Within months of the inquest being adjourned in 2011, Cowan was charged with murder, child stealing, deprivation of liberty, indecent treatment of a child and interfering with a corpse.

The 43-year-old's odd name change was revealed during the cross-examination of a lead investigator at his committal hearing in February.

At the committal, defence lawyer Michael Bosscher asked Detective Senior Sergeant Stephen Blanchfield whether the accused had legally changed his name to Shadoo Nunya Hunter.

''My understanding is that is now his legal name,'' the detective said.

Tim Meehan, of Bosscher Lawyers, told news.com.au that the defence team became aware of the name change upon taking on their client.

"He hasn't (provided an explanation for the name change) and it's not something we've pushed with him," he said.

"I can't guess as to what the motivation was or whether there's any special meaning or whether it attaches to anything in popular culture or whether it's just a name.

"People change their names all the time - it's not anything unusual. People do it often and for any number of different reasons."

Mr Meehan said the defence team addressed Cowan by his natural name and that his client had never insisted on being called Shadoo.

It is understood police were aware of the name change at the time of Cowan's arrest but charged him under his natural name anyway.

Mr Meehan said he was unsure what name Cowan's family used to address him.

"I don't talk about his family with him," he said.

"(Our communication) is just solely related to us defending him."

While the meaning of Shadoo Nunya Hunter is unknown, the name has a range of popular culture inferences.

Shadow Hunters is a survival board game set in a forest in which three groups of characters - the Shadows, creatures of the night; the Hunters, humans who try to destroy supernatural creatures; and the Neutrals, civilians caught in the middle of this ancient battle - struggle against each other to survive. 

The key to winning is to identify allies and enemies because once a players' identity is revealed, their enemies will attack with impunity.

There is a series of Shadowhunter novels in which shadowhunters, a magical race of beings that are half angel and half human, endeavour to protect the world from demons and other supernatural forces.

There is a Shadow Hunter comic book series by Virgin Comics and porn star Jenna Jameson.

There is also a 13-episode documentary television series about the paranormal called Shadow Hunter.

The only known meaning for "Nunya" is that it is slang for "none of your business".

It is believed Cowan probably changed his name in his home state of Western Australia.

The WA Department of the Attorney General said police checks were not performed against every name-change application but that the Registry ran police checks "in certain circumstances".

A trial date for Cowan, who remains segregated from other inmates at Arthur Gorrie Correctional Centre in Queensland, is expected to soon be set for as early as this year. 

Mr Meehan said the defence team were ready.

"It just needs to be done," he said.

"We're happy to just get in and do it really.

"(A trial this year would be good) for absolutely everyone involved."

News.com.au understands Cowan will be addressed by his natural name at his trial.

However, University of Adelaide Advocacy and Justice Unit director David Caruso said this would change if Cowan was found guilty.

"If he's convicted he has to be sentenced and so forth as the law recognises him and the law recognises him by his legal name," he said.

Follow @itsKShort or email kristin.shorten@news.com.au

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Aussie troops accused of deaths

Australian troops on patrol in Char Chineh yesterday. Picture: ADF Source: Supplied

AUSTRALIAN troops did not fire a single shot during a botched attack in Afghanistan by an American helicopter that left two local boys dead.

At the weekend, a regional leader in Afghanistan said Diggers had killed the boys last Thursday in the Char Chineh area in the northwest of the Oruzgan province.

"The children were killed by Australian troops, it was a mistaken incident, not a deliberate one," the governor of Oruzgan province Amir Mohammad Akhundzada told Agence France Presse.

His comments were widely reported around the world yesterday, but The Daily Telegraph can reveal the statement is not true.

The Australian troops from the Special Operations Task Group were conducting a routine liaison mission to checkpoints around the district by Black Hawk helicopter and became aware of an imminent threat after they landed near compounds.

According to government sources, once they had established that the threat was real - using more than one source - the troops requested air support in the form of a US Apache attack helicopter. Targeting information was provided to the Apache crew who apparently engaged the wrong target and killed the boys.

When the dust settled, the Diggers confirmed the victims were two boys.

They then explained what had happened in detail to the local malik, or village headman, and other elders.

They could not confirm the ages of the boys.

"All the indications are that between the call for help and weapons release something went seriously wrong," a source said. Taliban fighters often use women and children as human shields.

The Diggers were in contact with Afghan National Security forces at the time of the attack, but did not have local troops or police with them. Afghan authorities and the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) have launched a joint investigation and a preliminary report is expected by later this week.

It is understood the investigation will focus on targeting and the weapon impact process and the video and voice tapes from the Apache will provide vital clues.

Defence chief General David Hurley sent his condolences to the families of the boys and said the Australian Defence Force took civilian casualties very seriously.

"It is premature to make any determination about how the incident occurred or who was responsible," he said.

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