Latest news with #Ballarat
Daily Mail
a day ago
- General
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Major development in Samantha Murphy case after mother-of-three disappeared while on a run
A trial date has been set for the alleged murder of Samantha Murphy, a Ballarat mother who disappeared on her morning run. Accused murderer Patrick Orren Stephenson, 23, is set to face a Supreme Court trial on April 8, 2026. The trial is expected to last about six weeks. Pre-trial arguments for the prosecution and defence are likely to begin as early as November, 2025. Stephenson has pleaded not guilty to Ms Murphy's alleged murder. Ms Murphy, a mother of three, vanished after going for a run on February 4, 2024, through the Canadian State Forest in regional Victoria. Despite numerous police and volunteer searches, her body has never been found. More to come...
News.com.au
a day ago
- General
- News.com.au
Trial date set for Patrick Stephenson, accused of murdering Ballarat mum Samantha Murphy
A trial date has been set for the man accused of murdering Ballarat mum Samantha Murphy. Patrick Orren Stephenson, 23, is scheduled to face a Supreme Court trial for the alleged murder on April 8, 2026. The trial is expected to last approximately six weeks, with pre-trial arguments for the prosecution and defence expected to begin in November 2025. Stephenson has pleaded not guilty to Murphy's alleged murder. Ms Murphy, a mother-of-three, went for a run on the morning of February 4, 2024, through the Canadian State Forest and was never seen again. Despite several searches across the Ballarat region, including the Enfield State Park, Canadian State Forest and Buninyong Bushland Reserve, there has been no trace of the mother. Stephenson was arrested and charged with her murder a month later. Mr Stephenson was transported from Melbourne Assessment Prison to Enfield State Park, south of Ballarat, where excavators were used to dig up an undisclosed area. This is the second time the 23-year-old was escorted to the bushland by police, though the mum's remains are yet to be found. Police have not disclosed what led them to return to the search site, and it is not suggested Mr Stephenson's visit indicates he knows where Ms Murphy's body is. In June last year, Murphy's iPhone, credit cards and driver's license were recovered in a teal case from the bottom of a dam in Buninyong. According to police, her phone was in near-perfect condition when it was found.
The Australian
a day ago
- General
- The Australian
Murder trial date set in Samantha Murphy case
You can now listen to The Australian's articles. Give us your feedback. You can now listen to The Australian's articles. A trial date has been set for the man accused of murdering Ballarat mother Samantha Murphy. Patrick Orren Stephenson, who stands charged with Murphy's alleged murder, will stand trial from April 8 next year following an extended pre-trial process that will stretch into late 2025. The trial will begin shortly after the Easter period in 2026, bringing the case into the spotlight more than two years after Murphy's death. It comes after the accused was transported from Melbourne Assessment Prison to Enfield State Park, south of Ballarat, where excavators were used to dig up an undisclosed area. It was the second time Mr Stephenson was escorted to the site by police, after a similar operation in November last year. No human remains were located during either search. Murphy, a mother of three, vanished on February 4, 2023, after setting out on a 14km run through the Canadian State Forest, which she was known to frequent. Her disappearance triggered a major search involving police and volunteers, spanning bushland areas including the Canadian State Forest, Enfield State Park, and Buninyong Bushland Reserve. Mr Stephenson was arrested a month later and charged with her murder. He has pleaded not guilty and was committed to stand trial in the Supreme Court. Police have not disclosed what led them to return to the Enfield site, and there is no suggestion that Mr Stephenson's attendance indicates he knows the whereabouts of Murphy's body. In June last year, Murphy's credit cards, driver's licence, and iPhone – which was inside a teal-coloured cover – were recovered from the bottom of a dam in Buninyong. The phone was reportedly in near-perfect condition. Mohammad Alfares Journalist Mohammad Alfares, a journalist and a keen fisherman. Growing up, I would film and edit 'productions' I made with family friends every holiday. Combined with my love of writing and storytelling, being a journalist was the perfect fit! I obtained a Bachelor of Communication at Massey University in New Zealand and was lucky enough to get my first taste of the industry in broadcast journalism. Outside of work, I keep my hunger for adrenaline satisfied by chasing a big fish! I'll also find time to relax too, either with a cup of coffee or enjoying some fresh air and sunshine. Mohammad Alfares
ABC News
2 days ago
- General
- ABC News
Trial date set for Patrick Stephenson, accused of killing Samantha Murphy
The Supreme Court has scheduled a trial date and time for the murder charges against Patrick Orren Stephenson, accused of killing Ballarat mother Samantha Murphy. Mr Stephenson is scheduled to face the Supreme Court on April 8, 2026, charged with murdering Ms Murphy. The 23-year-old has pleaded not guilty to the charge. The Ballarat man was arrested in March after Ms Murphy left her home for a jog on February 4 and was never seen again. Her body has not been found despite several police and community searches. On Tuesday, the court was told the trial would take place in Ballarat. The court heard the trial was expected to last about six weeks. Pre-trial deadlines were set for the prosecution and defence in the lead-up to next year's scheduled trial date. The court heard pre-trial arguments would start in November.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
MasterChef Australia: Back To Win elimination sees cook's dream dashed over underdone duck as brutal butter challenge goes awry
MasterChef Australia: Back To Win has lost another cook after a butter challenge left a lot to be desired on Sunday night. A pressure test called for the chefs to create a dish that 'celebrated butter' in 75 minutes. Unfortunately, Tim Bone's dish fell short when his underdone duck failed to wow the judges, and it led to his elimination. 'My heart definitely sank,' the Ballarat chef told Ten after he departed the cooking competition. 'I think I bit off more than I could chew trying to get a beautiful fall-off-the-bone confit duck in 75 minutes, but that's the world we live in, it's a pressure-cooker of an environment, and you never know when your time is up' he continued. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. 'Unfortunately, my time was up'. The host of Good Chef Bad Chef said that despite being kicked off the series he was happy with what he had achieved. 'I still walked out with my head held high. I was proud of what I was able to achieve in the competition,' he said. It comes after contestant Rue Mupedzi set herself up for a huge career in the culinary world after her shock elimination from the Back to Win season on Tuesday. Instead of hanging up her apron for good, the 29-year-old dental hygienist is planning on becoming a pastry chef. Rue, who is known as the 'dessert queen' by fans, announced she plans to head to Europe to pursue her dream as soon as possible. 'My vision board is to go to France and gain work experience in the pastry world for six months to a year, as well as explore Europe,' she said in a new interview with Yahoo Lifestyle on Wednesday. The WA-based kitchen star said her long-term plans included opening her own pastry shop. Unfortunately, Tim's dish fell short when his underdone duck failed to wow the judges, and it led to his elimination Rue returned to MasterChef after her headline making appearance on the show in 2023. She suffered the heartache of a second MasterChef Australia elimination last week after a tricky pudding failed to impress the judges. In tears, Rue told the judges that it had been an honour cooking for them and being on the show for a second time around. 'Just being called back among such amazing chefs made me realise I'm also part of the great people,' she shared. Jean-Christophe Novelli sang high praises of the contestant and her presence on the show. 'You are unique, you've got the most amazing spirit and, for me, I believe you are a ray of sunshine in any kitchen,' he told Rue in a heartfelt speech. Speaking of her final cook with 10Play, Season 15's Rue was left disappointed after being eliminated in a challenge she considered to be her bread and butter. 'I really felt like this was a cook that I was supposed to shine in, and I didn't,' Rue said. 'I had done all these elements over a thousand times, and somehow that didn't show. You couldn't see that on the plate.'
