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A wealthy magistrate who fought to strip the grieving mother of his dead fiancé of her daughter’s super payout had flaunted his wealth in a flashy home renovation magazine.
Grandfather-of-eight Rod Higgins, 68, – who bizzarely referred to himself as Rocketman Rod in an online alias obtained by Daily Mail Australia – has been slammed by ordinary Australians after receiving the $180,000 super and life insurance payout intended for the struggling mum of Ashleigh Petrie.
Mr Higgins had lived with the 23-year old for about 12 weeks when she died in October 2019 after being hit by a car.
Highly-paid magistrate Rod Higgins fought to win the $180,000 super and life insurance payout of his young fiance
Magistrate Rodney Higgins referred to himself as Rocketman Rod in online profile obtained by Daily Mail Australia
‘I also love diamonds’: Lurline Le Neuf – the longtime partner of Mr Higgins – was labelled the ‘Queen of Bling’ in home renovation magazine. She is spotted wearing an apron from luxury London department store Harrod’s paired with a posh pair of yellow boots in Shepparton on Tuesday
Miss Petrie,23, excitedly accepted and called him ‘the love of her life’ after he proposed. The couple is pictured together just weeks before her untimely death
On Tuesday, more than 3,200 Australians had signed a petition demanding the super fund give the cash to Ms Petrie’s mother, as per her wishes.
Mr Higgins had reportedly inquired about securing his fiance’s superannuation death benefit within 24 hours of her tragic death.
She had bequeathed the entire balance and death benefit to her mum, but Mr Higgins successfully argued he was her ‘dependent’ and therefore entitled to her super payout upon her death.
After Ms Petrie’s death, Mr Higgins moved back to the riverside home in Shepparton he shared with his former partner, Lurline Le Neuf, to resume their 18-year relationship.
He is still employed as a magistrate and earns $324,000 each year.
On Tuesday, the pair were seen sauntering about town in pricey duds looking every inch the millionaire couple.
Daily Mail Australia can reveal Mr Higgins and Ms Le Neuf appeared in a feature article in Our Home magazine in 2013 where they discussed their good fortune.
In it, Ms Le Neuf was described as ‘The Queen Of Bling’ and had appeared on the front cover.
‘It is everywhere, from jewellery encrusted with precious stones and bracelets laden with rhinestones, to glitter glued onto shoes to add flair and the bling artwork she weaves into the home she shares with partner Rod Higgins,’ the article read.
‘I also love diamonds,’ Ms Le Neuf told the publication.
Mr Higgins’ proud partner talked of her troubles at finding the perfect chandelier for their home and bragged about her time working with fashion gurus in London.
‘I have always been bling and people just expect it of me,’ she said.
I’m a rocketman: Controversial magistrate Rod Higgins referred to himself as Rocketman Rod on a social media profile
The ‘Rocketman’s’ home base in Shepparton, which sits just a stone’s throw from a tranquil river
Rodney Higgins got his hands on the super intended for the struggling mother of his former girlfriend while living in a riverside mansion
The wealthy magistrate’s partner Lurline Le Neuf got about town in posh yellow boots and a Harrod’s apron on Tuesday morning
By Tuesday afternoon Lurline Le Neuf had changed her fancy boots for another swish pair of kicks
Ms Petrie posted on Instagram just days before here death
Photographed beaming on a Vespa motor scooter, Higgins told the magazine he was loving life.
‘He has a natural tendency to take care of the down and out,’ it stated.
When not scooting about town, Mr Higgins professed a love of chomping down on fancy chocolates from Haigh’s.
In another photo, Mr Higgins is seen gushing over his dog Brutus, who sported a collar covered in bling.
The couple had met through mutual friends in 2003 and two years later had a commitment ceremony in Bali.
‘We love to cook and entertain and we have a great time together,’ they gushed.
Daily Mail Australia can further reveal Mr Higgins had a bizarre alias on social media.
When news of his relationship with Ms Petrie broke in October 2019, Mr Higgins had still operated a Facebook page under the name Rod Rocketman.
His profile claimed the magistrate worked at ‘Queen’ and he had attended ‘The school of hard knocks’.
One photo posted to his page showed a smiling Mr Higgins beside a woman declaring ‘Happy Birthday Mr Lawman’ followed by a dozen kisses.
Rod Rocketman’s friend list made for colourful reading, not often associated with a dealer of justice.
Grandfather-of-eight Rodney Higgins prepares to run errands on Tuesday
Mr Higgins proposed to Ashleigh Petrie (pictured together), from Mirboo North in Victoria, during a romantic trip to Fiji months before she died
In happier days: Ashleigh Petrie and Rod Higgins at the local pub. She often took to social media to inform friends of her love
Ashleigh Petrie’s last post on Instragram. She stated she had been in Metung in East Gippsland- posting a peaceful photo of her view. She would be dead hours later.
Ashleigh Petrie had been off work on mental health leave when she died
While Mr Higgins is due to retire within a month, he has told friends he plans to continue working as a reserve magistrate where he would be paid $1,380 a shift.
A coronial inquest ruled Ms Petrie’s death a suicide, but the investigating coroner determined that the finding would not be published.
Ms Petrie was struck by a vehicle and killed on Metung Road near Lakes Entrance in eastern Victoria about 1am the night she died.
Her death sparked an outpouring of emotion and anger at the fact her relationship was made public shortly before her death.
The news reports saw Victorian opposition attorney-general Ed O’Donohue write to the Judicial Commission of Victoria about Mr Higgins’ suitability as a magistrate.
Daily Mail Australia was told that rather than dreading the revelations, Ms Petrie was ‘excited’ about the prospect of further stories exposing the inner workings of the court.
A source told Daily Mail Australia at the time Ms Petrie had spoken candidly about approaching the media herself to expose the ‘toxic’ culture of the court.
Mr Higgins had come a long way from the tough days toiling on the wharves of Melbourne where he spent 22 long years.
Back then, he was married, had three kids and was the union representative on the docks.
During the infamous Australian waterfront dispute in 1998 Mr Higgins picketed Patrick Stevedores for months.
He dabbled in politics in the 1980s and Prime Minister Bob Hawke would encourage him to chase a degree in the field.
Ashleigh Petre, 23, was engaged to 68-year-old magistrate Rob Higgins. Her relationship raised eye brows and created headlines
Ashleigh Petrie showed off a huge sparkler after Rod Higgins popped the question
Ashleigh Petrie was said to be enthusiastic about damning news reports unveiling the grubby underbelly of the justice system
Mr Higgins completed a politics and law degree during the 1990s.
In 2000 he started practicing law in the Victorian country town of Shepparton in northern Victoria – the hometown of a young Ashleigh Petrie.
In 2014 he ran for a Labor seat there.
He told the local paper at the time that he saw a lot of disengaged youths going through the court system.
‘They should vote for me because I stand for social justice,’ he said.
Mr Higgins said he would shelve his criminal law career if elected.
He was trounced.
Mr Higgins settled back into practicing law and by 2017 was elevated to the bench as a magistrate.
Rod Higgins, 68, has been slammed by ordinary Australians after getting the super payout of Ashleigh Petrie, which she had asked to go to her struggling mum
Ashleigh Petrie and Rod Higgins in happier times
He was still attached to his second long-term partner when he fell head over heels for a young court clerk who just happened to be dating the bloke next door.
Ms Petrie was a bubbly and popular Shepparton local.
While her friends chased locals lads their own age in the often tough, working-class town, the vivacious Ms Petrie was interested in more mature men.
Some were known to want to fight over her.
Ms Petrie had been in a five-year relationship with the 48-year old next door neighbour of Mr Higgins when she hooked up with the even older beau.
Her ex was absolutely livid.
When news of the relationship spread throughout the courthouse in the sleepy eastern town of Sale, the pair were separated and Mr Higgins was shunted off to Bendigo – on the other side of Victoria.
The split was said to be tough on the young clerk, who is understood to have felt intimidated and under siege in an environment accustomed to passing judgement.
As the pressure built, and no doubt with some sage advice from her ex-union partner, Ms Petrie took mental health leave.
Outwardly, the fractured Ms Petrie seemed on top of the world.
There was no hiding that she was in love with her older work colleague.
The Queen of Bling: Lurline Le Neuf – the longtime partner of Mr Higgins – took him back after his relationship with Ms Petrie ended in tragedy
Ashleigh Petrie and Rodney Higgins in social media posts before her death
Ashleigh Petrie and her mum. Ms Petrie had wanted her super fund cash to go to her mum, but Rodney Higgins had different ideas
On September 5, with a little over a month of her short life left ahead, she took to social media to poke fun at her relationship with Mr Higgins.
‘We are actually the funniest couple in the world! We spend all day everyday laughing and being silly, having fun!’ she posted.
‘I don’t know how I got so lucky to find such a sweet and caring man with the same sense of humour, this amazing man is the love of my life!’
Ms Petrie captioned a photo of the magistrate holding up his senior citizen’s card.
‘Dating a senior citizen … my community work is done,’ was written over the photo.
Mr Higgins whisked her away to Fiji where he popped the question.
The clerk excitedly accepted and called him ‘the love of her life’ in a gushing Facebook post where she showed off pictures of her sparkly new ring.
‘What an amazing 10 days it has been here in Fiji! Firstly, I arrived as Rod’s girlfriend and I leave as rod fiancé! I cannot wait to become Mrs Higgins!’ she wrote online.
‘It started with a crush and now I have a ring on my finger. The love of my life asked me to marry him and I said YESSSS.’
During their trip, the pair went zip lining, met a Fijian tribe and swam in the sea together.
When the happy couple arrived home, a storm was about to smash them both.
It was October 10 when the first story about the pair opened the floodgates.
Ms Petrie would be dead a little over two weeks later.
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