Australia Samantha Murphy, 51, last seen leaving her property to go for a run in the Canadian State Forest, Ballarat, 4 Feb 2024 *Arrest* #11

[wastelands_]

M

( This from the Guardian......))

The Victorian man accused of murdering Ballarat woman Samantha Murphy is appearing in the Ballarat magistrates court.

Patrick Stephenson, 23, is appearing via video link from custody, wearing a white shirt.

Both parties are seeking an adjournment of 12 weeks due to an extensive brief that includes CCTV footage, the court has heard.

The court hearing comes more than six months after Murphy, 51, was last seen when she left her Ballarat East home to go for a run on 4 February.

In March, police charged Stephenson, from the nearby town Scotsburn, with the murder of Murphy, a mother of three. They alleged he killed her in a “deliberate attack” ....


The brief includes CCTV footage........ Surely he did not murder her in front of a camera.. .. surely not!!

murdering her in front of a camera would explain why they’re so confident he’s their guy

 

[Cliff Hardy]

( This from the Guardian......))

The Victorian man accused of murdering Ballarat woman Samantha Murphy is appearing in the Ballarat magistrates court.

Patrick Stephenson, 23, is appearing via video link from custody, wearing a white shirt.

If they have Stephenson's age correct - 23 - he spent his most recent birthday behind bars. Perhaps something he'll need to get used to?

 

[Cliff Hardy]

The brief includes CCTV footage........ Surely he did not murder her in front of a camera.. .. surely not!!

The CCTV footage could be of anything at all relevant to the case...but you've got us thinking there...

 

[Scooby-Doo]

This Highway Patrol is the matter involving Stephenson, his motor cycle, and tree in a public park, and an injury to a pedestrian, I think. This incident took place in the early summer, 2023, not connected to the matter that requires the lawyer from Geelong. ( which is another matter other than today's stuff ) .... Stephenson was a busy boy that summer.

Different. He was pulled over by Highway Patrol after the event and this put him 'on the radar'
Then they examined his movements prior to being intercepted, and found that they coincided with Samantha's location. They then would have had him under surveillance for a couple of weeks (possibly to see if he led them to the body, accomplices, or other evidence).
The question was he intercepted, or was it just a camera that nabbed him? If they intercepted, they would have drugged/alcohol tested him, but the camera only records speed and time. Also wasn't there mention a few weeks ago before the accused was announced as charged that a sighting of a damaged vehicle of interest was being investigated? If he was actually intercepted and tested positive, yes, it would have led to surveillance.

 

[wastelands_]

If they have Stephenson's age correct - 23 - he spent his most recent birthday behind bars. Perhaps something he'll need to get used to?

Most recent news.com article has said his birthday was last month and he spent it behind bars.

 

[Trooper]

The CCTV footage could be of anything at all relevant to the case...but you've got us thinking there...

CCTV implies to me a static camera , on a pole somewhere.... not as I originally thought of him filming himself with his phone or a hat camera thingy... this sounds like some camera work from someone's gateway, or even a camera set up by the Friends of the Forest in a hidden tree branch, to capture animal behaviour., which, if that is the case, it surely did.

 

[Lemony]

One of Mr Stephenson's lawyers, Moya O'Brien, said his defence team was yet to receive the CCTV footage and would need time to review it.

She requested at least a 12-week adjournment, a move also supported by the prosecution.

'Unprecedented' volume of evidence causes delay in Samantha Murphy murder hearings

An "unprecedented" amount of evidence is causing delays in court for the matter of Patrick Orren Stephenson, accused of murdering Ballarat woman Samantha Murphy.

www.abc.net.au

 

[Trooper]

One of Mr Stephenson's lawyers, Moya O'Brien, said his defence team was yet to receive the CCTV footage and would need time to review it.

She requested at least a 12-week adjournment, a move also supported by the prosecution.

'Unprecedented' volume of evidence causes delay in Samantha Murphy murder hearings

An "unprecedented" amount of evidence is causing delays in court for the matter of Patrick Orren Stephenson, accused of murdering Ballarat woman Samantha Murphy.

www.abc.net.au

'unprecedented volume'....... something you don't hear often in a Victorian court, or in any other court, in regard to a committal hearing.

Well... VICPOL seems to have crossed all the t's and dotted all the i's... .Mr Galbally has his work cut out for him, but that is a barristers lot in life.

 

[Lemony]

Might be paywalled for some

Lawyers for accused killer of Samantha Murphy want more time with evidence

Lawyers for Patrick Stephenson say the brief of evidence in his murder trial is unprecedented in size and they need more time to work through it.

www.theage.com.au

Extra details from that article
PS legal team only got the brief last month.
Defence lawyer understands the CCTV is going to be provided over the weekend in a hard drive capacity.

 

[drsleuth]

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/truecrimeaustralia/police-courts-victoria/crucial-next-step-for-samantha-murphys-alleged-killer/news-story/414ed7365f49698f656f3b62b551349d?amp

Paraphrased:

PS appeared via a video link from custody on Thursday morning wearing a white T-shirt, sitting straight and looking towards the camera with his chin length hair slicked back.

Prosecutors asked for a mass delay in the court case after it served an “extensive amount of CCTV footage” on Mr Stephenson’s defence lawyers.

Daniel White for the Office of Public Prosecutions, said “we appreciate that’s a significant amount of time but the brief (of evidence) is extensive and involves an extensive amount of CCTV”. They asked for 12 weeks

Defence lawyer Moya O’Brien, said her team was “yet to receive the CCTV” which was due to be handed over on a hard drive over the weekend, “It has been described as unprecedented in terms of size,”

There had been discussions about narrowing down disclosure evidence to move the case along more quickly

Magistrate Mark Stratmann said given the significance of the charges and public interest it was “a case that obviously needs to move promptly”, he granted the 12-week adjournment because of the “very significant brief”

Mr Stephenson had issues in custody that the court had been notified of, but those were not aired during the short administrative hearing.

PS faces two separate cases before the court — a charge of murder over the disappearance of Ms Murphy and drug, drink and careless driving offences after a Grand Final day bender last year.

Defence lawyer fought against the media getting access to charge sheets over the alleged driving offences, stating they hadn’t had an opportunity to get instructions about them. His Honour said he’d “like to hear more about it” and adjourned the issue to November

PS will return to court on both the murder charge and traffic offences via video link from custody on November 14.

 

[Trooper]

If I was of a cynical turn of mind, I 'd say VICPOL blindsided Stephenson in regard to the CCTV element.

Might be paywalled for some

Lawyers for accused killer of Samantha Murphy want more time with evidence

Lawyers for Patrick Stephenson say the brief of evidence in his murder trial is unprecedented in size and they need more time to work through it.

www.theage.com.au

Extra details from that article
PS legal team only got the brief last month.
Defence lawyer understands the CCTV is going to be provided over the weekend in a hard drive capacity.

The defence is not entitled to the brief before it was tabled to them. In Victoria that's how it plays, the DPP only had to hand it over a fortnight before the committal. This is done to preserve evidence, but also it leaves the accused a lot of time to 'instruct' his barrister as to his plan of progress. It's not as if the DPP were slack in passing stuff across. They did not have to give the defence the CCTV stuff before today, merely to mention it in the brief.. ..


More time is fine, Stephenson is not going anywhere, has probably made himself at home in Remand, some people stay there for 2 years. It's no big deal, and he will adjust.

 

[Trooper]

Different. He was pulled over by Highway Patrol after the event and this put him 'on the radar'
Then they examined his movements prior to being intercepted, and found that they coincided with Samantha's location. They then would have had him under surveillance for a couple of weeks (possibly to see if he led them to the body, accomplices, or other evidence).
The question was he intercepted, or was it just a camera that nabbed him? If they intercepted, they would have drugged/alcohol tested him, but the camera only records speed and time. Also wasn't there mention a few weeks ago before the accused was announced as charged that a sighting of a damaged vehicle of interest was being investigated? If he was actually intercepted and tested positive, yes, it would have led to surveillance.

Nope. Not different. It was after the Grand Final, not after the murder.

 

[Trooper]

No family of Stephenson in court today. Not surprisingly, since it was a zoom hearing.... probably they watched thru an audio visual link, I suppose.

 

[Scooby-Doo]

Nope. Not different. It was after the Grand Final, not after the murder.

The traffic offence might still have put him on the radar. There has to be a reason the police closed in on him so (relatively) quickly.
There were mention a few weeks ago before accused was announced as charged that a sighting of a damaged vehicle of interest was being investigated? If he was actually intercepted and tested positive, it would have led to surveillance
We will have to wait on what unfolds...

 

[Marg944]

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/truecrimeaustralia/police-courts-victoria/crucial-next-step-for-samantha-murphys-alleged-killer/news-story/414ed7365f49698f656f3b62b551349d?amp

“Mr Stephenson had issues in custody that the court had been notified of, but those were not aired during the short administrative hearing.”

Oh well!!!!

 

[Scooby-Doo]

'unprecedented volume'....... something you don't hear often in a Victorian court, or in any other court, in regard to a committal hearing.

Well... VICPOL seems to have crossed all the t's and dotted all the i's... .Mr Galbally has his work cut out for him, but that is a barristers lot in life.

Yes I am quite surprised ‘unprecedented’ volume of evidence. Interesting ..!

 

[Trooper]

There has to be a reason the police closed in on him so (relatively) quickly.

edited by me for brevity....

' There has to be a reason the police closed in on him so (relatively) quickly.' .... yeah!! extensive CCTV!! that could be a reason ?

 

[jjleroche]

( This from the Guardian......))

The Victorian man accused of murdering Ballarat woman Samantha Murphy is appearing in the Ballarat magistrates court.

Patrick Stephenson, 23, is appearing via video link from custody, wearing a white shirt.

Both parties are seeking an adjournment of 12 weeks due to an extensive brief that includes CCTV footage, the court has heard.

The court hearing comes more than six months after Murphy, 51, was last seen when she left her Ballarat East home to go for a run on 4 February.

In March, police charged Stephenson, from the nearby town Scotsburn, with the murder of Murphy, a mother of three. They alleged he killed her in a “deliberate attack” ....


The brief includes CCTV footage........ Surely he did not murder her in front of a camera.. .. surely not!!

I think he may have, but didn't realise that he was on camera at the time.

I'm thinking that this is possible mainly due to Vicpol being absolutely adamant that they had their man, and knew with certainty where and when the murder had occurred, and that it was a deliberate attack. Had it simply been a report from someone stating what they saw/heard, IMO they wouldn't have been quite so adamant.

MOO

 

[Scooby-Doo]

edited by me for brevity....

' There has to be a reason the police closed in on him so (relatively) quickly.' .... yeah!! extensive CCTV!! that could be a reason ?

It had to be ! Right from the beginning

 

[jjleroche]

edited by me for brevity....

' There has to be a reason the police closed in on him so (relatively) quickly.' .... yeah!! extensive CCTV!! that could be a reason ?

Yes, I think so too. I've wracked my brain as to how Vicpol could have been SOOO adamant about the "who, when, where" plus the "deliberate attack" comment.

Given that Vicpol would have serious egg on their face after the triumphant presser if it transpired that they were wrong, IMO there must have been visual evidence (and probably a fair bit, in order for there to be absolutely no doubt.)

JMO