By Editor,Nick Wilson,Rex Martinich

Copyright dailymail

READ MORE: Three arrested over alleged euthanasia ring following suicide

By NICHOLAS WILSON, NEWS REPORTER, AUSTRALIA and REX MARTINICH FOR AUSTRALIAN ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published: 09:27 BST, 18 September 2025 | Updated: 11:38 BST, 18 September 2025

A Gold Coast man accused of running a fake whale euthanasia charity to sell drugs that aided a person with quadriplegia to take his own life has been identified.

Brett Daniel Taylor is one of three people charged over a police probe into the alleged assisted suicide of the Gold Coast man, with about 20 other deaths being investigated.

Taylor, a 53-year-old business owner, was not required to appear at Southport Magistrates Court on Queensland’s Gold Coast on Thursday.

During a brief court mention, Taylor’s solicitor Billy Gee did not apply for bail and asked for an adjournment.

‘We have a conference booked with Mr Taylor next week on Thursday,’ Mr Gee said.

Taylor is charged with aiding in the suicide of 43-year-old David Llewellyn Bedford at Hope Island on April 11.

Mr Bedford was a former chef who was left paralysed by a car crash in August 2022, according to his previous submission to a Queensland parliamentary inquiry into voluntary assisted dying in 2020.

Taylor is also charged with aiding in the suicide of a woman who was working undercover for police, possessing and trafficking in animal euthanasia drugs and receiving money from drug trafficking.

Brett Daniel Tayler is accused of providing veterinary drugs for assisted dying

The trio were arrested after a euthanasia drug was found in the body of a man who died in April

Taylor had separately been accused of posing as a lawyer on the Gold Coast over five years

Taylor has been accused of sourcing the euthanasia drug under false pretences by setting up beached whale euthanasia charity Cetacean Compassion Australia Ltd and accessing it through a lawful supplier.

ABC News revealed Taylor has been also been accused of posing as a lawyer on the Gold Coast between June 2019 and July 2024.

The Legal Services Commissioner brought two charges against him in December last year for allegedly breaching the Legal Profession Act.

The Commissioner said the 53-year-old allegedly prepared wills and other legally binding documents for 126 clients and received payment for services through his business End of Life Services, in a statement provided to the ABC.

The second charge relates to Taylor allegedly representing that he was entitled to engage in a legal practice when he was not entitled to do so.

Police on Monday charged Taylor and two elderly people following an investigation into Mr Bedford’s death.

Elaine Arch-Rowe, 81, faced court on Tuesday charged with attempting to arrange the supply of the drug to someone who turned out to be an undercover police operative.

Police have alleged she brought life-ending veterinary drugs to an RSL seminar in a bid to sell them.

Gold Coast detectives arrested three people over the alleged assisted dying drug supply ring

Magistrate Deborah Mitchell heard police had intercepted communications with Arch-Rowe discussing with Taylor how to obtain two types of fatal drug.

During a video conference Arch-Rowe allegedly said ‘to get access to the product from the manufacturer we need to give a large percentage to be used legitimately’.

Arch-Rowe was later released from a Gold Coast watch house after being granted bail despite it being opposed by the prosecution.

She is due to return to court on October 17.

An 80-year-old Ashmore man – who police allege is Taylor’s father – has been charged with trafficking and possessing dangerous drugs, and is due to appear in court on Friday next week.

Magistrate Veena Goverdhan adjourned Taylor’s matter and remanded him in custody to next appear in court on October 7.

Mr Gee did not comment as he left court.

Gold CoastQueensland

Share or comment on this article:
Alleged fake lawyer revealed to be the man accused of running a euthanasia ring selling deadly drug cocktails through charity that was supposed to help save ocean creatures