Heartbroken wife and daughters of judge found dead in bushland issue a moving tribute - as details of the astonishing courtroom blow-up which saw him recalled from his post are revealed

A family court judge was accused of abusing his position and pulled from his post just five weeks before he was found dead in bushland.

Federal Circuit Court Judge Guy Andrew, 55, disappeared from his home in Brisbane early Sunday morning, leaving his wallet and shoes behind.

Judge Guy Andrew, 55, has been found dead in thick bushland five days after he went missing near his home in Brisbane

His body was found in bushland just 1km from his abandoned Toyota HiLux near his favourite walking track in Mt Coot-tha on Thursday, after a huge search.

The judge's distraught wife Nicole and two daughters have now issued a statement thanking the community for their support during the trying time. 

The moving message comes as details are revealed about the controversial cases which saw him recalled from the courts.

Judge Andrew was the sole FCC judge in North Queensland until he was recalled to Brisbane for 'retraining and mentoring' while his hearings were monitored.

Daily Mail Australia can reveal several lawyers were 'distressed' by his conduct in his short time on the bench since March 2019, and he was the subject of two official complaints. 

Meanwhile his heartbroken family have issued the message through close friend and solicitor Nick Dore.

A widespread search was sparked after Federal Circuit Court Judge Guy Andrew's car was found abandoned on the side of the road. His body was found on Thursday

An aerial map of the area in Brisbane where Judge Guy's car was found in relation to where his body was later found, kilometres away 

'On behalf of Nicole, Morgan and Bridget they have asked me to express their thanks and gratitude to all the friends, family and volunteers who took the time and travelled far to look for Guy,' Mr Dore said told the Courier Mail.

'Knowing there was so many people helping to look for him gave them strength and hope.'

At the time of his death, Judge Andrew was still in Brisbane and believed to be struggling with his mental health after a series of run-ins at work.

One of those saw his ruling in a custody battle overturned in a scathing August 28 appeal judgement that condemned his conduct in extraordinary terms.

A full bench of the Family Court found he was so 'hectoring, insulting, belittling, sarcastic and rude' towards the father's lawyers there was no chance of a fair trial.

'We feel bound to add here that the primary judge's interventions, his cruel, insulting, humiliating and rude interactions with the father's Queen's Counsel and his solicitor, amounted to an abuse of the power of his position,' they wrote.

Graeme Page QC quit the case for Adacot & Sowle after 'cruel, insulting, humiliating and rude interactions' from Judge Guy Andrew

'In our view it must be redressed by allowing the appeal, lest the integrity of the judicial system be undermined.'

The case, known by the pseudonym Adacot & Sowle, argued whether the mother should be allowed to move with her seven-year-old daughter from NSW to Brisbane.

Judge Andrew allowed the mother to move and ordered the couple be granted equal responsibility for the child on September 26 2019.

But it was his court demeanour that prompted the successful appeal after the father's barrister Graeme Page QC claimed he made his life hell, as well as for solicitor Michael Dwyer.

The appeal judges cites hundreds of lines of court transcripts in which Judge Andrew was found to have relentlessly bullied the pair to the point where Mr Page quit the case. 

'The tone, nature and ferocity of his Honour's comments could never be seen as justified, and in our view resulted in the father not receiving a fair trial and raised the identified apprehended bias, that no matter what the father's case was as presented, it would be rejected,' the appeal judges ruled.

It was Judge Andrew's court demeanour that prompted the successful appeal after run-ins with barrister Graeme Page QC and solicitor Michael Dwyer

This included accusing them of lying, questioning their honesty, intellect, and professionalism, and chewed up hours with petty bickering.

'There was no basis for the primary judge to impugn the professionalism of the father's Queens Counsel in the manner he did or at all,' they noted.

Tragic timeline of judge found dead in the bush

March 2019: Judge Andrew, a veteran Brisbane family law barrister, is appointed a judge

March 29: He moves to Townsville to be the sole Federal Circuit family court judge in North Queensland

September 26: Judge Andrew gives orders in the Adacot & Sowle case

October 24: His decision is appealed, with some grounds being his conduct during the hearings

June 4, 2020: The full bench of the Family Court hears the appeal

August 28: Appeal judges overturn Judge Andrew's decision, ordering a new hearing and issuing a scathing condemnation of his conduct

September: Judge Andrew is moved to Brisbane for 'training and mentoring' with all his sittings supervised 

October 3: Judge Andrew is last seen going to a hiking path near his home without his wallet or shoes

October 8: His body is found in bushland off the trail

Judge Andrew demeaned their performance as 'absolute garbage', 'disgraceful' and 'pathetic', and said Mr Dwyer had a 'cognition problem'.

'It should have been a very simple matter to refer to it, rather than the Punch and Judy Show that we've been going through in relation to which subpoena it is. It's really like a really bad Monty Python skit,' he told Mr Page.

The second day did not go any better, as the judges noted much of his interaction with Mr Page 'was couched using rude and intemperate language'.

'Do not be obtuse or rude. Try and improve from yesterday. Your performance was disgraceful. Answer my question,' he said at one point.

On another occasion he attack Mr Page, saying: 'You've just made a mess of that request that I asked of you. This is pathetic.'

About two hours into the day, Mr Page decided it was best he pulled out of the case in the hope it would 'improve the atmosphere in the proceedings'. 

'It did not. If possible, His Honour's conduct worsened,' the report said.

In one bizarre exchange, Judge Andrew slammed him for using the words 'just' and 'all' in his arguments, and then for 'looking away'. 

'I don't need your stream of consciousness. I never did that from the other side of the bar table,' he said at another point.

'That was rude and presumptuous. A court does not need to know why you might be thinking something, Mr Dwyer. Do you know that? Do you know that?' 

At another point he said: 'Please don't try to divert my attention. I'm not a goldfish.'

The appeal judges noted that even the mother's lawyers admitted that Judge Andrew had bullied their opposing counsel.

Rescue teams walk through bushland on Thursday at Mount Coot-tha , hours before the judge's body was discovered

'The primary judge's treatment of and conduct towards the father's solicitor was such that it could bear no description other than taking inappropriate advantage of the undoubted power imbalance that exists between the judge and the lawyer and, indeed, counsel for the mother conceded during oral argument on the appeal that it amounted to bullying by the judge,' they wrote.

At the appeal, the mother's lawyers argued Judge Andrew was only attacking the father's lawyers, not the father himself.

But they noted he also dismissively said three times that the father was 'swanning around the Gold Coast' with his daughter, after asking why he was not in court.

Lawyers, fellow judges, and friends spoke of the intense pressure he would have been under, in addition to the emotional toll of family law.

'It is unforgiving and it takes its toll on most who practice in it in some way, shape or form. That on top of the suffering of families and children,' family lawyer Sheridan McMahon said. 

Australian Defence Force members joined Queensland Police and specialist mountain rescue teams to search for Judge Andrew (pictured on Thursday morning at Mount Coot-tha)

Chief Judge of the Federal Circuit Court of Australia and Chief Justice of the Family Court Will Alstergren paid his respects to the judge's family after a body was discovered. 

'His Honour will be remembered as a fine, highly respected barrister and a diligent and determined judge who lived a life of service to others and to the law,' he said. 

'He was loved and admired by many during his long career at the bar and he made many good friendships in his short time on the bench.  

Chief Justice Alstergren said numerous judges, barristers, solicitors, associates and other court staff held him in such esteem they joined the search themselves.

But he said Judge Andrew dealt with some 'unforeseen challenges' since his appointment that he was working his way through.

'His tragic passing is a timely reminder of the extraordinary pressure on all who practice in the often highly emotive family law jurisdiction,' he said.

'This pressure can be exacerbated by appointment.  

A search was conducted in bushland next to Dillon Road in the Gap after the discovery of Judge Andrew's car on Monday

Others hoped Judge Andrew's death would be a 'wake up call' for the government to improve support for overworked judges in such an emotionally-draining field.

'Judges see the best and worst of people, usually the worst and are expected to hold themselves above all the s**t they see,' one said.

Judge Andrew drew praise too, even from mothers and fathers who appeared before him in court and thanked him for his diligence in presiding over their cases.

'I have been in court for four years with a perpetrator of domestic violence who represented himself and continued to try to use power, control, and manipulation over me even through the judicial system,' Townsville woman Tee Bishop said.

'It only stopped and was fully resolved once we got this judge. I was so grateful to him and how he managed my case. I'm saddened to hear this.'

Search efforts included Polair, dive squad, police on foot and on bikes, State Emergency Services volunteers and other external agencies

Another woman, Dot Blackman, wrote: 'I had him in my case he helped restore my faith in everything got the right outcome for my family.' 

Former colleague Rebecca Lyons said Judge Andrew was a wonderful friend and mentor when she was a junior lawyer.

'Whenever I told anyone I was going to do some 'research' I would ring Guy. He always knew the answer - he had tremendous knowledge and was a great teacher,' she said.

'I won't forget those walks up Castle Hill where Guy had to stop many times for me to catch up.'

Brisbane family law firm Page Provan added: 'We mourn the loss of Judge Guy Andrew... Deepest condolences to his family, friends and close colleagues. He was a good man.' 

Volunteers with Queensland's State Emergency Service consult a map to plot their search efforts for the missing Judge

Judge Andrew's car was found about 2pm on Monday next to bushland at Dillon Road in The Gap, prompting a multi-day effort by police, State Emergency Service, and military search teams to find him.

The cause of death is yet to be determined and the body has not been formally identified by family. 

Queensland Police Service said it had pulled in 'sufficient resources for the operation'.

'Search efforts have included Polair, dive squad, police on foot and on bikes, State Emergency Services volunteers and other external agencies along with a large community effort,' police said.  

Police on Tuesday used drones, boats and all-terrain vehicles to search for Judge Andrew, who went missing amid concerns about his conduct in court.  

Judge Andrew dealt with six family court matters in the Brisbane Federal Circuit Court on Friday, two days before he went missing. 

Queensland Police Service said it has pulled in 'sufficient resources for the operation.' Pictured: Rescue teams on Thursday at Mount Coot-tha

Last month, two lawyers complained about Judge Andrew's behaviour, prompting him to receive counselling and mentoring.

In September's judgement, the full bench found Judge Andrew had shown 'apprehended bias and abused his power' when presiding over a family law case.

A three-judge bench ruled there was 'no basis' for Judge Andrew's 'cruel, insulting, humiliating and rude' comments. 

Lawyers representing the father in the case said Judge Andrew's conduct denied him a fair trial. 

Judge Andrew was appointed as the sole Federal Circuit Court judge in Townsville in March last year. 

He is survived by his wife Nicole and daughters Bridget and Morgan. 

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health you can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.