Man charged with killing Tony Williams in court

The Australian man charged with the murder of New Zealander Tony Williams in Queensland last Christmas made his first appearance in court on the murder charge today.

On Thursday Matthew Cox, 24, appeared in the local court at Port Macquarie, a beachside community just north of Sydney, where it was decided he would be extradited to Queensland to face the murder charge at the Southport Magistrates Court.

Williams, 38, was the lead singer of a band, Sex'N'Chocolate, which played weekly at a local nightclub. By day, he worked as an orderly at Gold Coast Hospital. He reportedly bedded hundreds of women, with police early in the investigation calling for all those women to come forward.

A post-mortem examination found Williams had been beaten about the head and body with a blunt instrument.

The Gold Coast Bulletin reported Cox was a member of the 2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment in Townsville until he was discharged.

He also had a love for guns.

Today Cox briefly appeared in the Southport Magistrates Court dock to answer a charge of murder.

Duty lawyer Lisa Searing, for Cox, requested the matter be adjourned to May 18.

He will now be transported to the Arthur Gorrie Correction Centre and would appear via videolink in May, the Gold Coast Bulletin reported.

Outside court Mr Williams' partner Shardai Kerr said she would attend every future court appearance.

"The family, myself and the whole community are relieved an arrest had been made,'' she said.