Accused murderer claims drug altered his state of mind

Perth Now

3 days ago

A man with a neurological condition that limits his ability to move claims he was not in the right state of mind when he stabbed a woman to death.
Mark Ludbrook, who uses a wheelchair due to his transverse myelitis, took the illicit drug PCE on the morning of August 3, 2023, before he allegedly murdered Autumn Baker.
Ms Baker, one of Ludbrook's friends, had arrived at his Hoppers Crossing home in Melbourne's west about 1pm after he did not respond to her messages.
Ludbrook's carer answered the door and the two women went inside to find the 53-year-old naked and standing in the doorway of his bedroom.
The carer reported Ludbrook had been acting irrationally all morning and as they discussed what to do next, Ludbrook entered the kitchen and grabbed a steak knife.
He walked back to his room and when the carer followed, she found him lying on his bed and sticking the knife into his abdomen.
The carer yelled at him to stop and Ms Baker also came in, with the two women attempting to pull the knife off him.
The carer left the room to grab her phone and call triple zero when she heard Ms Baker scream.
The woman returned to find Ludbrook repeatedly stabbing Ms Baker, who was on her back on the floor.
Ludbrook thrust the knife in the carer's direction as the woman tried to stop him, so she moved away to speak to the triple-zero call taker.
Ludbrook then came out of the room naked and covered in blood so the woman ran from the house.
When police arrived, Ludbrook - who was still naked - ran to the backyard but they managed to restrain him.
More officers arrived to find Ms Baker's unresponsive body in the bedroom and despite attempts at resuscitation, she died at the scene.
Ludbrook, who was hospitalised after the alleged murder, was found to have the drug PCE in his system.
He does not deny he caused Ms Baker's death but his barrister told a Victorian Supreme Court jury her client was not in control of his actions at the time.
Barrister Emily Clark said Ludbrook had taken PCE on the morning of Ms Baker's death to manage the pain from his neurological condition.
But she argued his state of mind was so altered by the drug that he could not have consciously, deliberately or voluntarily carried out the killing.
It was also disputed that Ludbrook held an intention to kill Ms Baker or cause her really serious injury, Ms Clark said.
Intention and state of mind are two elements of murder the jury must consider before returning a verdict.
Crown prosecutor Jim Shaw told jurors Ludbrook's actions were conscious and deliberate so they could find him guilty of murder.
During his opening address, Mr Shaw played body-worn camera footage from the officer who discovered Ms Baker's body.
He also tendered autopsy photos, which he said showed two fatal stab wounds to Ms Baker's chest, as well as several other wounds to her arms, hands and face.
The trial before Justice John Champion continues.