MURDERER Adrian Basham has been dumped by his legal team before his sentencing over the slaying of ex-wife Samantha Fraser.
Basham was found guilty of murdering Ms Fraser inside their Phillip Island garage before staging her death as a suicide on July 23, 2018.
His defence lawyers told an urgent Supreme Court hearing last week that they could no longer act for the killer.
Barrister Ashley Halphen said his team had “reached an impasse” with Basham, who will face a further plea hearing later this month.
Mr Halphen told Justice Lesley Taylor that Basham would meet with another lawyer, Melinda Walker, next week.
Justice Taylor replied that she “feared that was going to be the purpose of the mention”.
“May I sincerely thank you for everything you have done in the trial,” Justice Taylor said.
Ms Fraser was due to testify against Basham over rape allegations years earlier when he murdered her at her Cowes home.
She was found dead the day after celebrating her 38th birthday a day earlier after she failed to collect her young children from school.
The young mum had told a friend she was “ready for court and to tell her story” of the alleged rapes.
Prosecutors dropped the rape charges against Basham after he was found guilty of Ms Fraser’s murder.
The plea hearing continues next week.
