Still Missing Australia - Samantha Murphy, 51, last seen leaving her property to go for a run in the Canadian State Forest, Ballarat, 4 Feb 2024 *Arrest* #13

[drsleuth]

Man accused of Samantha Murphy's murder admits to driving offences

www.9news.com.au

From your link...

He spent two weeks at Royal Melbourne Hospital after suffering a lacerated spleen, broken pelvis, broken ribs and some head injuries, she said.
"He is still undergoing some follow-up treatment and review, and that has been seen to whilst in custody," his barrister said.

That's some serious injuries, must have been doing a fair speed IMO

snip

She said Stephenson's parents, siblings and long-term partner supported him and were in regular contact with him while he is on remand.

 

[Marg944]

Well that is a surprise…..

“She said Stephenson's parents, siblings and long-term partner supported him and were in regular contact with him while he is on remand.”

Man accused of Samantha Murphy's murder admits to driving offences

www.9news.com.au

 

[Dotta]

"Head injuries" in the accident
Hmmm...
Head injuries can be catastrophic,
resulting even in brain damage/changed behaviour.
Plus drugs and alcohol.
Jeez!
Too bad!

JMO

 

[Cliff Hardy]

Man accused of Samantha Murphy's murder admits to driving offences

www.9news.com.au

Hard to see him needing his driver's licence in the next 28 months. Perhaps 28 years?

 

[Cliff Hardy]

Well that is a surprise…..

“She said Stephenson's parents, siblings and long-term partner supported him and were in regular contact with him while he is on remand.”

Man accused of Samantha Murphy's murder admits to driving offences

www.9news.com.au

'Contact' would include via the jail phone.

 

[Warshawski]

Man accused of Samantha Murphy's murder admits to driving offences

www.9news.com.au

From this article also, and quoting his Barrister Moyra O’Brien, some answers to some of my questions:
‘She said Stephenson's parents, siblings and long-term partner supported him and were in regular contact with him while he is on remand.’

 

[HoneyBunOne]

Without trying to unrcessarily complicate things :

Sam regularly ran on Sundays. She had a regular route she used to take on Sundays. But did she take her regular route on that particular Sunday? I don't know if she did on not. But l do know you get bored pretty quickly if you always take the same route every single time.

It's been reported that she'd just gotten back into running after having covid, so maybe less chance of being bored on the same run. Perhaps she used the same run to help her keep track of progress, and to know exactly how far left she had to go so she could pace herself. (I'm not a runner so have no idea)

Man accused of Samantha Murphy's murder admits to driving offences

www.9news.com.au

Well this is interesting. He now has a recorded history of taking MDMA, and drink driving. He was driving almost 3 times over the legal alcohol limit and so intoxicated he could barely communicate with police officers. (.05 is the legal limit in Vic. 0.0 if a P plate car driver - which he may very well have been at 22, but in this instance he chose a motorbike as his mode of transport) The area he crashed is in the Ballarat central area, not the heart of town, but not a remote back road either (for those unfamiliar with the area). He did a number on himself, enough to need to be sent to Royal Melbourne Hospital for 2 weeks (a major Melbourne hospital - and not the nearby Ballarat Base hospital which has an emergency department and is quite large). This absence from his regular life would have been known by close friends, family and an employer (if not his father). I'm guessing there was no way to avoid those people knowing he had been drug and drink driving. So they maybe now see a side of him he'd kept somewhat hidden. It seems they all now support him after the murder charge too. I wonder if that means they think he's innocent? For the girlfriend to continue to support him, I'd say she's have to believe in his innocence, or be somewhat tied to the case IMO. For his parents, it could go either way. I can understand even if they may not necessarily believe his innocence, they still love and support him. Maybe even after a conviction, if it comes to that. Any parent will know it's hard to comprehend a horrible side to their child, when all they have are great memories, from an innocent baby to where they are now.

Hard to see him needing his driver's licence in the next 28 months. Perhaps 28 years?

Came here to say the same thing.

 

[Marg944]

This article words the level of support Stephenson is getting in remand a wee bit different…


“She said he had been on remand since March 6, but “enjoys the support of his parents and siblings... and enjoys contact with his long-term partner”.

https://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/courts-law/patrick-orren-stephenson-alleged-sam-murphy-killer-fined-2500-after-pleading-guilty-to-charges-over-october-2023-drunk-motorcycle-crash/news-story/72bf26a9803c493d0413b5a6e35c7a4d

 

[Marie A]

This article words the level of support Stephenson is getting in remand a wee bit different…


“She said he had been on remand since March 6, but “enjoys the support of his parents and siblings... and enjoys contact with his long-term partner”.

https://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/courts-law/patrick-orren-stephenson-alleged-sam-murphy-killer-fined-2500-after-pleading-guilty-to-charges-over-october-2023-drunk-motorcycle-crash/news-story/72bf26a9803c493d0413b5a6e35c7a4d

Thanks for highlighting that difference.

I’m guessing that nobody that knows him actually thinks he’s innocent of attacking and murdering Sam.
I’ve always assumed that he disposed of her body completely by himself with no support from others but you never know……
I so wish they would find her!
All imho

 

[Trooper]

Hard to see him needing his driver's licence in the next 28 months. Perhaps 28 years?

Those charges are quite severe...... he had that hanging over his head at the time of the murder... a big worry, the axe falling, losing his licence, court fees, barristers fees, motorcycle repair fees, lost work income, ..... plus, he was already on probation for some other offences committed before this drunk motorcycling thingo...

he was on a downwards trajectory.

 

[Trooper]

Well that is a surprise…..

“She said Stephenson's parents, siblings and long-term partner supported him and were in regular contact with him while he is on remand.”

Man accused of Samantha Murphy's murder admits to driving offences

www.9news.com.au

no accounting for taste, Marg!!

 

[HoneyBunOne]

Those charges are quite severe...... he had that hanging over his head at the time of the murder... a big worry, the axe falling, losing his licence, court fees, barristers fees, motorcycle repair fees, lost work income, ..... plus, he was already on probation for some other offences committed before this drunk motorcycling thingo...

he was on a downwards trajectory.

How do you know he was already on probation at the time of the traffic accident?

 

[Bats]

His lawyer just has to convince TWO jury members that there is reasonable doubt and he is free.
I can't see why he would plead anything but 'not guilty'. It is probably worth it to him to take that chance.


majority verdict means—
(a) if, at the time of returning its verdict, the jury consists of 12 jurors—a verdict on which 11 of them agree;
(b) if, at the time of returning its verdict, the jury consists of 11 jurors—a verdict on which 10 of them agree;
(c) if, at the time of returning its verdict, the jury consists of 10 jurors—a verdict on which 9 of them agree.

JURIES ACT 2000 - SECT 46 Failure to reach unanimous verdict in criminal trials

classic.austlii.edu.au

Bit late on the reply for this one South, sorry...

I think the verdict must be unanimous in a murder trial. Majority verdict doesn't apply.

 

[drsleuth]

How do you know he was already on probation at the time of the traffic accident?

He was on a good behaviour bond.

Prosecutors submitted the offending was made more serious as Mr Stephenson was serving a two-year good behaviour bond at the time for similar offending.

https://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/courts-law/patrick-orren-stephenson-alleged-sam-murphy-killer-fined-2500-after-pleading-guilty-to-charges-over-october-2023-drunk-motorcycle-crash/news-story/72bf26a9803c493d0413b5a6e35c7a4d

 

[Trooper]

How do you know he was already on probation at the time of the traffic accident?

Magistrate Guillaume Bailin found his blood-alcohol reading charge was the most serious as it fell into the high range and took into account he was on a good behaviour bond for similar offending at the time.

 

[bearbear]

so could he have taken his smashed up bike for repair to samantha and husbands smash repairs?
and so a small connection to her?

 

[Marg944]

Major update on Sam Murphy's alleged killer as he appears in court and unveils a dramatic change​

16th January 2025

“The man accused of murdering Ballarat mum Samantha Murphy has stunned court attendees with his appearance on separate charges on Thursday.

Patrick Orren Stephenson, 24, fronted Ballarat Magistrates Court on Thursday via videolink where he pleaded guilty to a series of driving offences.

Dressed in a fancy R.M Williams top, the alleged killer sported a long, woolly beard in the style common among devout Muslim men.

It was a major change of appearance for Stephenson, who was clean shaven when he was charged, five weeks after Ms Murphy's alleged murder.

While it is unclear if Stephenson has converted to Islam while behind bars, such a decision is not unusual for vulnerable prisoners who do so for protection by other Muslims in the jail.

Stephenson, an apprentice electrician, remains caged within the Melbourne Assessment Prison while awaiting a Supreme Court trial on the murder charge.”

Major update on Sam Murphy's alleged killer as he appears in court

The man accused of murdering Ballarat mum Samantha Murphy has made a sensational appearance in court.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[SouthAussie]

so could he have taken his smashed up bike for repair to samantha and husbands smash repairs?
and so a small connection to her?

Probably not. It is not usual for a motor vehicle panel beater to work on motorcycles ... likely due to the difference in the specialised equipment required. imo

The main place where I work is right next door to a panel beaters - my office window looks over their property - and I have never seen a motorcycle there. Cars and vans of many types and descriptions, but never a motorcycle.

When I do a search for 'motorcycle repairs Ballarat', Inland Motor Body Works is not one of the repairers listed.

Raceline Motorcycles looks like the main place in Ballarat (of the 5 that are offered) ... that is, if the crashed motorcycle was worth salvaging.

And a motor vehicle panel beater does not do mechanical repairs.

https://www.localsearch.com.au/find/motorcycle-service-repairs/ballarat-vic

 

[HoneyBunOne]

Magistrate Guillaume Bailin found his blood-alcohol reading charge was the most serious as it fell into the high range and took into account he was on a good behaviour bond for similar offending at the time.

Thanks for that, I must have missed it. Seems our boy doesn't learn from his mistakes. Or he had a hard core addiction. Or both.

 

[HoneyBunOne]

Major update on Sam Murphy's alleged killer as he appears in court and unveils a dramatic change​

16th January 2025

“The man accused of murdering Ballarat mum Samantha Murphy has stunned court attendees with his appearance on separate charges on Thursday.

Patrick Orren Stephenson, 24, fronted Ballarat Magistrates Court on Thursday via videolink where he pleaded guilty to a series of driving offences.

Dressed in a fancy R.M Williams top, the alleged killer sported a long, woolly beard in the style common among devout Muslim men.

It was a major change of appearance for Stephenson, who was clean shaven when he was charged, five weeks after Ms Murphy's alleged murder.

While it is unclear if Stephenson has converted to Islam while behind bars, such a decision is not unusual for vulnerable prisoners who do so for protection by other Muslims in the jail.

Stephenson, an apprentice electrician, remains caged within the Melbourne Assessment Prison while awaiting a Supreme Court trial on the murder charge.”

Major update on Sam Murphy's alleged killer as he appears in court

The man accused of murdering Ballarat mum Samantha Murphy has made a sensational appearance in court.

www.dailymail.co.uk

That's reaching, even for the Daily Mail. I didn't realize Muslims had trademarked a beard style. It's probably just a combination of laziness and prepping to look more scruffy and butch in case he is found guilty.