John Matthew Gallagher: Man admits murdering his father Dean Thomas Gallagher at Salmon Gums roadhouse

A 28-year-old man has admitted murdering his father at a roadhouse in WA’s south-east. John Matthew Gallagher faced Stirling Gardens Magistrates Court on Wednesday via videolink from Eastern Goldfields Regional Prison and entered a plea of guilty, in a casual and unemotive tone. When police and paramedics were called to a roadhouse on the Coolgardie-Esperance Highway in Salmon Gums about 12.30am on October 4 last year, they could not revive Dean Thomas Gallagher, 51. His son was charged the following day after being questioned. Despite the guilty plea, Gallagher’s lawyer said her client had a possible “defence” under Section 27 of WA’s Criminal Code, which is the defence of insanity. He was remanded in custody, with sentencing set for January 27. According to the deceased man’s Facebook profile, he hailed from Crib Point in Victoria, moved to Esperance in 2021 and worked at the roadhouse. “What a champion of a bloke that will never be forgotten,” one online tribute read. “You would always brighten up everywhere you went,” another read.