Australia Samantha Murphy, 51, last seen leaving her property to go for a run in the Canadian State Forest, Ballarat, 4 Feb 2024 *Arrest* #12

[Kemug]

It's quite strange isn't it, that PS, such a very very ordinary person, should have become this complex character that we are all talking and wondering about.

 

[Scooby-Doo]

Whatever he has, or says , or hopes, he still had to give the Magistrate , yesterday, his Notice of Alibi, he did not do so, and now has 14 days to produce one . Just because one doesn't pay, or does not want to be represented by a qualified legal rep does not excuse one from adherence to court procedure.. It is Stephenson that must catch up on court protocol, not the court bow to Stephenson's mental capacities..

Sadly, Stephenson will find that, like others before him, the court plows on regardless of Stephenson's point of view, and /or his feelings..

I simply reject the idea that Stephenson was the paying client of Galbally's. someone was paying, it was not Stephenson.

He might call on witnesses for his alibi before the trial. It gives his defence more time, smart move.!

If there is more to this as well, the less that others know the better

 

[Trooper]

It's quite strange isn't it, that PS, such a very very ordinary person, should have become this complex character that we are all talking and wondering about.

For me, it is the mystery, ... a woman, of significance to her community, loved by her husband, and kids, runs her husbands successful business , makes a home in the country, ushers her kids thru private schooling, gets them all to adulthood, gets interested in running, goes out for a training run one Sunday morning, gorgeous day, hot one coming up , so she sets off early, 7ish, has a brunch to go to with old friends later on in the morning..

And never comes home. Somehow , this very very ordinary person intercepted this very very ordinary Australian woman, and one goes home and one does not.

 

[Trooper]

He might call on witnesses for his alibi before the trial. It gives his defence more time, smart move.!

If there is more to this as well, the less that others know the better

No. it does not give him more time!!.. it gives him and his defence , and that is now a presumption, that he actually has a defence team, less time, because they cannot call anyone as a witness for his alibi UNLESS HE HAS GIVEN HIS NOTICE OF ALIBI to the court... he is a fortnight behind... dumb move.

 

[Kemug]

I wonder if the (ex?) girlfriend will be a witness at his trial. I would think probably. And I think she may have lot of insight into his character

 

[Trooper]

I wonder if the (ex?) girlfriend will be a witness at his trial. I would think probably. And I think she may have lot of insight into his character

I am taking the fact that the people who have not been ambushed by the press , because a D notice has been put on them, ( a D for Desist is put on the press by the police ) are going to be witnesses... so.. this girlfriend, other girlfriends, school friends, work mates, footy mates, family, ...

 

[Scooby-Doo]

No. it does not give him more time!!.. it gives him and his defence , and that is now a presumption, that he actually has a defence team, less time, because they cannot call anyone as a witness for his alibi UNLESS HE HAS GIVEN HIS NOTICE OF ALIBI to the court... he is a fortnight behind... dumb move.

If you don't give notice, you can't call witnesses to support your alibi without the court's permission. But the court may also adjourn the matter to allow the prosecution time to investigate the alibi

 

[Marg944]

Back in August, 2024

'Unprecedented' volume of evidence compiled for Samantha Murphy murder case, court hears​

“Given the huge amount of material to be gone through and taking instruction from Mr Stephenson, that is an adequate amount of time in our submission," Ms O'Brien said.

Mr Stephenson is also facing charges for a traffic offence but the details of that are not yet clear.

A media application for the charges was also adjourned until Mr Stephenson's next appearance. Magistrate Stratmann said there was not enough time to discuss the matter during Thursday's hearing.

Mr Stephenson will remain in custody until the matter returns to court on November 14.”

Court hearings for man accused of murdering Samantha Murphy delayed due to 'huge' evidence brief

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

The media didn’t report on the “media application” that was listed for 14th November.

 

[Trooper]

Back in August, 2024

'Unprecedented' volume of evidence compiled for Samantha Murphy murder case, court hears​

“Given the huge amount of material to be gone through and taking instruction from Mr Stephenson, that is an adequate amount of time in our submission," Ms O'Brien said.

Mr Stephenson is also facing charges for a traffic offence but the details of that are not yet clear.

A media application for the charges was also adjourned until Mr Stephenson's next appearance. Magistrate Stratmann said there was not enough time to discuss the matter during Thursday's hearing.

Mr Stephenson will remain in custody until the matter returns to court on November 14.”

Court hearings for man accused of murdering Samantha Murphy delayed due to 'huge' evidence brief

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

The media didn’t report on the “media application” that was listed for 14th November.

'''''The media didn’t report on the “media application” that was listed for 14th November.''''


Somewhere along the line , the media probably were assured that they would be made aware of those charges at the appropriate time, which was 14th Nov, ,and that's how it went down, no point in pursuing the application they were told what those extra charges were that they made the application about., MDMA and drugs and alcohol etc involved in the crash.

Press make these applications and courts run things their own way.

 

[touch]

It 's all a bit murky, I cannot get where Stephenson is coming from, what logic is driving any of what he does. He has , in my amateur observation, been on the self destruct highway for some time, and this reprehensible murder was the outcome of a chartered journey.. .. maybe a sort of Last Hurrah kind of act.. you know how some criminals chose death by cop, well,. some choose obliteration by court... .

This is entirely my own opinion ... I have no special insight into how this bloke is thinking..

I wonder if the evidence isn't as glittering as we think. The "unprecedented" amount of CCTV is concerning to me. If there was any damning footage in there, why not just submit a small amount of footage showing the important events? Does the large amount of footage suggest quantity over quality?

Maybe there is some genuine belief on his part that he won't be convicted based on the evidence?

 

[Rocket333]

No. it does not give him more time!!.. it gives him and his defence , and that is now a presumption, that he actually has a defence team, less time, because they cannot call anyone as a witness for his alibi UNLESS HE HAS GIVEN HIS NOTICE OF ALIBI to the court... he is a fortnight behind... dumb move.

Will the media and the public be informed in a few weeks about his response, or lack of response, to the alibi notice? Or would this typically only be revealed at trial?

 

[Trooper]

I wonder if the evidence isn't as glittering as we think. The "unprecedented" amount of CCTV is concerning to me. If there was any damning footage in there, why not just submit a small amount of footage showing the important events? Does the large amount of footage suggest quantity over quality?

Maybe there is some genuine belief on his part that he won't be convicted based on the evidence?

The reason why a small amount is not submitted is, this is a process of Full Disclosure. ...the prosecution is legally obliged to hand over everything it has pertaining to the case to the defence on that particular mention day. Which they did. That the defence found it all a bit overwhelming is neither here nor there to the prosecution, that's what it has to do, and that's what it did.

The question then would be, why is there so much to submit to the defence?.. I don't know why there is so much, nor do I know who the source of it is, but a lot of it is , apparently, CCTV, or VID clips, electronic records. .

As to the quality. VICPOL is a staid conservative organisation, even though it has been run under a progressive govt for a long while, it is a traditional police force, not given to radical announcements, or off beat comportment, at least, in public. I give this background because the Police Commander ( Shane Patten ) gave an astonishing press release.. without a body, he claimed, that Mrs Murphy was dead ( this was while a huge search was underway , which was called off, and the Retrieval team sent in ) that she died at 8am, approx, at Mt Clear ( near Ballarat) that she was not only dead, but murdered, and was murdered by Patrick Stephenson. That she was 'attacked'. That it was not a hit and run car accident.

Any one of these claims is astounding, without a body. From this, I reckon the quality is way beyond glittering, it's into florescent nuclear glitter territory. Whatever VICPOL has, it clearly shows these claims.

I don't know what his genuine beliefs are. He could indeed believe he had nothing to do with it, that he was spending the weekend on Jupiter, and didn't get back till Sunday night.. I don't know.

 

[Rocket333]

I wonder if the evidence isn't as glittering as we think. The "unprecedented" amount of CCTV is concerning to me. If there was any damning footage in there, why not just submit a small amount of footage showing the important events? Does the large amount of footage suggest quantity over quality?

Maybe there is some genuine belief on his part that he won't be convicted based on the evidence?

I’d speculate that much of the cctv is PS driving all over town that day and evening, and in the weeks afterwards. Possibly multiple captures from different angles of him heading down certain roads and maybe repeatedly, or returning to sites of interest, or exiting the forest area at the time of the alleged crime. Might also be multiple cameras capturing him in shops purchasing items of interest, or popping into the servo, car wash, or car repair shop etc. Visuals of his ute, clothes, purchases, demeanour, company and all feeding into a timeline of activity and whereabouts. Might also be video or audio recordings (personal, social, phone taps etc). You’d think it’d be relevant if VicPol handed it in, otherwise they’d leave it out. Now at least some of it has been assessed as sufficient to proceed.
Maybe there’s no footage of the actual crime itself and PS holds hope.

 

[SouthAussie]

I also think - according to true crime files I have read - that when the police hand over such a voluminous amount of footage they timestamp/reference the relevant parts that they are going to submit as evidence, the parts that they want to show in court.

But the defence need the opportunity to review all of it (as well as the timestamped parts) and give their slant on the evidence. Like "but he goes to the car wash every Sunday afternoon" or whatever.

imo

 

[JLZ]

I wonder if the evidence isn't as glittering as we think. The "unprecedented" amount of CCTV is concerning to me. If there was any damning footage in there, why not just submit a small amount of footage showing the important events? Does the large amount of footage suggest quantity over quality?

Maybe there is some genuine belief on his part that he won't be convicted based on the evidence?

I think it's an argument by elimination. Here he is, then here he isn't (lots of footage of "isn't"), therefore he must have been here, where and when Mrs Murphy met her death.

 

[Rocket333]

I don't know what his genuine beliefs are. He could indeed believe he had nothing to do with it, that he was spending the weekend on Jupiter, and didn't get back till Sunday night.. I don't know.

You might have just nailed his defence word for word. haha

 

[Rocket333]

I think it's an argument by elimination. Here he is, then here he isn't (lots of footage of "isn't"), therefore he must have been here, where and when Mrs Murphy met her death.

True, and then there’s the witness accounts of movements on the day, ie “He stayed out all night and came home in his ute at 8.30am, then took off again at 4pm” etc.

 

[SouthAussie]

The reason why a small amount is not submitted is, this is a process of Full Disclosure. ...the prosecution is legally obliged to hand over everything it has pertaining to the case to the defence on that particular mention day. Which they did. That the defence found it all a bit overwhelming is neither here nor there to the prosecution, that's what it has to do, and that's what it did.

So I guess if he has parted with his defence barrister, those files all go back to the prosecutor? Or do they go into PS' safe-keeping hands? Or even to his solicitor, if he still has one of those.

 

[Trooper]

So I guess if he has parted with his defence barrister, those files all go back to the prosecutor? Or do they go into PS' safe-keeping hands? Or even to his solicitor, if he still has one of those.

I think it goes like this, the files belong to VICPOL. VICPOL copied everything it had , and sent the copies of everything off to Galbally's under Full Disclosure. Galbally ( his appointed Barrister , Ms O'Brien , that is ) took possession of the copies. Now... either VICPOL hands over another set of copies to Stephenson, if he is to represent himself, or they are directed to hand over copies to his next lot of Barristers.

!. VICPOL keeps the originals.

2. Galbally either keeps some stuff for their historic files, and shreds the rest, or shreds the lot. Galbally would not be expected to hand over their copies, they may have written all over them, underlined stuff, highlighted stuff, however, as a courtesy, among the brotherhood of Barristers, they may send their copies to the next lot, AS WELL as VICPOL sending it over again.

3. another lot of Barristers get it sent to them by VICPOL and court direction and have to go over it all.

 

[australianwebsleuth]

He will be asked nothing tomorrow about the murder of Mrs Murphy. The fact that he is 'waiting' means nothing, in regard to this matter. Tomorrow's appearance by the accused is about another matter altogether. Tomorrow is the 14th. His court appointment tomorrow is in reference to a matter previous to the murder of Mrs Murphy.

On the 15th, the matter of the murder of Mrs Murphy will be addressed, and he will be asked various questions, one of which is if he intends to make a plea. Another one may be a request for an extension of time. .. or some medical intervention, .. it could be anything. He may, or he may not., make a plea. At some point, the judge will do that job for him. In that event, it will be a not guilty plea.

He did plea on the 14th. Why did you say this?