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ABC News
16-07-2025
- ABC News
Father of murdered Victorian teenager Charlie Gander 'shattered' by Supreme Court jury verdict
In between dealing with customers at his automotive workshop, Richard Gander has spent weeks watching the Victorian Supreme Court trial of the three people accused of murdering his son Charlie. The 19-year-old's remains were found by emergency services in a burnt car in Bunbartha, in the state's north, on Christmas Eve 2022. Danny Clarke, Dimitri D'Elio and Kylie Stott pleaded not guilty to kidnapping, murder and arson. Yesterday a jury found all three guilty of kidnapping, but only D'Elio was found guilty of murder and arson. Stott was found guilty of manslaughter. Mr Gander said watching the trial unfold was an exhausting experience. "By the end of the day I'm that mentally drained, I'm in bed by 7:30," he said. For nearly 30 days the jury heard a range of evidence and had to look photos of skeletal remains taken by crime scene investigators. "I didn't watch the earlier stuff of certain evidence because I don't think any parent should have to see that," Mr Gander said. He felt "shattered" that not all three accused were found guilty of murder. Mr Gander remembers his son "Chaz" as a "good kid" who played football and loved tinkering with cars. "He was always helping others. A really good kid. A good sportsman. Just a good lad," Mr Gander said. During the trial in Melbourne the jury was shown the final text messages Mr Gander exchanged with his son as they made plans for Christmas. The jury also heard that Mr Gander learnt of his son's death via a phone call from the mother of one of Charlie's football mates. "That was horrific — I just couldn't believe it and hearing it the way I heard it," Mr Gander said. "When that happened, you know, your whole world just stops. And even going to the police station going, 'You know what's going on?' "They're like, 'Oh, we can confirm there was a car burnt and we can't confirm who was in it.'" Mr Gander said it was two or three days before police were able to confirm that his son was dead. "That was a hard time because in the back of your mind, you're thinking … maybe he's going to walk in the door any day now. But it wasn't to be," he said. The Gander family has created a memorial to Charlie on Loch Garry Road in Bunbartha. "We all caught up and we dug a hole and put that cross in there," Mr Gander said. "It's hard going back there" The workshop Mr Gander now runs in Melbourne is in honour of Charlie's love of cars. "He wanted to be a mechanic — that's the reason I brought this workshop, because I said to him, 'Once you become fully qualified, I'll buy you a workshop and we'll run it together.'" "If he was with us, he'd be like, 'This is gold.'" Mr Gander says the family will never get over Charlie's murder. "Once the sentencing is done, we just need to move on I guess," Mr Gander said.
ABC News
15-07-2025
- ABC News
Jury returns verdict for accused trio in Charlie Gander murder trial
A Supreme Court jury has found a man guilty of murdering 19-year-old Charlie Gander in 2022, after three days of deliberation. Mr Gander's body was found on a dirt road in Bunbartha on Christmas Eve after emergency services were called to extinguish a car that had been set on fire. Kylie Stott, Dimitri D'Elio and Danny Clarke pleaded not guilty to kidnapping, murder and arson in a nearly seven-week trial that heard from emergency services, DNA experts, police officers, and pathologists, and was described by a prosecutor as a case "about retribution". The jury delivered its verdict at Victoria's Supreme Court on Tuesday afternoon, finding D'Elio, who was aged 24 at the time of offending, guilty of all three charges. Stott, who was aged 37 at the time, in a relationship with D'Elio, and described by the prosecution as orchestrating the scheme, was found not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter, guilty of kidnapping and not guilty of arson. The jury found Clarke, who was 38 at the time of offending, guilty of kidnapping and not guilty of murder, manslaughter and arson. All three accused were expressionless as the verdict was read to the court. During the opening days of the trial, Crown prosecutor Mark Gibson said the court would hear a case "about retribution" and "a desire to punish a person" for what they believed they had done. He alleged the trio acted as a team to kidnap, kill and incinerate Mr Gander in an "unnecessary, senseless and callous" act. Mr Gibson told the court the alleged motive was Mr Gander's cooperation with police investigating a firearms breach by Tyson May, who was a good friend of Stott. Following a police raid in Shepparton in November 2022, Mr Gander gave a police interview and made a witness statement about Mr May possessing a firearm. Mr May was under a firearms prohibition order, Mr Gibson said. A disc with the record of Mr Gander's police interview "found its way into the hands of others" and cost Mr Gander "dearly", Mr Gibson said. He presented evidence to the court, including Google searches from D'Elio's phone for a "dead body in burned car" several days before media coverage of the death, as well as records from Stott's phone labelling the victim as "Charlie dead dog Gander". As part of court evidence, the jury travelled from Melbourne to Shepparton, Bunbartha and Nathalia to view key locations in the case. A court appearance to schedule plea dates has been set for later this month.
ABC News
10-07-2025
- ABC News
Jury begins deliberations in trial of trio accused of murdering teenager Charlie Gander
A jury has begun deliberating in the trial of three people accused of kidnapping, murdering and burning the body of a 19-year-old in northern Victoria in December 2022. The remains of Charlie Gander's body were found in a burnt-out car at Bunbartha on Christmas Eve, 2022. Kylie Stott, Dimitri D'Elio and Danny Clarke have pleaded not guilty to kidnapping, murder and arson in a trial painted by the prosecution as a desire for revenge against Charlie for "ratting out" their associate to the police. At the time of the alleged offending, Ms Stott was aged 37, Mr D'Elio 24 and Mr Clarke 38. All three have pleaded not guilty. The 12 jurors have begun deliberating after 30 days of hearings, including about 41 witnesses made up of pathologists, DNA experts, emergency services and police officers. The jury also heard statements read out by the prosecutor from Mr Gander's girlfriend and his father Richard Gander, including final texts between the pair. In his final address, Mr Gibson argued that each of the accused was guilty of the three charges "because each of them was part of an agreement, arrangement or understanding with the others to kidnap Charlie Gander, to murder Charlie Gander and to burn the Ford Territory with Charlie Gander's body in it". Mr Gibson told the jury the alleged motive was Mr Gander's cooperation with police investigating a firearms breach by Tyson May, who was a good friend of Ms Stott. Mr Gander was also friends with Mr May and would hang out with him, the court heard. Following a police raid in Shepparton in November 2022, Mr Gander gave a police interview and made a witness statement about Mr May possessing a firearm. Mr May was under a firearms prohibition order, Mr Gibson said. A disc with the record of Mr Gander's police interview "found its way into the hands of others", Mr Gibson said. "It cost him dearly," he said. The court heard a kitchen knife wrapped in a bloodstained tea towel from under a car seat had a mixed DNA profile of four people, including Mr Gander. Forensic pathologist Paul Bedford, who conducted Mr Gander's autopsy, previously told the court extensive fire damage to the body meant the cause of death could not be ascertained. He also told the court toxicology reports had found very high levels of the drug methylamphetamine, commonly known as ice, which may have contributed to Mr Gander's death. Justice Michael Croucher presented a summary of the defence counsel's arguments to the court before the jury began deliberating. Daniel Sala, acting for Ms Stott, has rejected the prosecution's arguments that she was key in orchestrating the acts against Mr Gander and urged the jury to find her not guilty of murder or arson. Paul Kounnas, acting on behalf of Mr D'Elio, has argued Ms Stott and Mr Clarke were the "prime movers" in the alleged crimes and that Mr D'Elio was "dragged along" and used as a "patsy". The court heard Mr D'Elio, who was in a relationship with Ms Stott, did not know Mr Gander or Mr Clarke and had "no skin in the game". Christopher Terry, acting on behalf of Mr Clarke, has argued his client did not intend to kill Charlie or enter into any agreement to do so. He said there was no evidence of Mr Clarke's hatred towards Charlie Gander or proof of an agreement, and that his client had been "dragged into a terrible crime". Justice Croucher instructed the jury that they must reach a unanimous verdict for each of the accused, who each face three charges. The jury heard they may find the accused guilty of manslaughter as an alternative if they are not satisfied beyond reasonable doubt of the higher charge of murder. Justice Croucher told the jury manslaughter did not require an intent to kill, but there must be an intentional assault that was dangerous and posed serious injury. He also told the jury their task did not include making moral judgements. He noted jurors had been tasked with not one trial but 12 separate decisions, with the three accused facing three charges and the potential for manslaughter. The 12 charges are being heard together for convenience, and the jury must "not allow this fact to usurp justice" and must consider each charge separately, Justice Croucher said.
ABC News
05-06-2025
- ABC News
Supreme Court murder trial hears of moment father learned of Charlie Gander's death
A Supreme Court jury in Victoria has been read text messages exchanged between a father and his son shortly before the latter was allegedly kidnapped and murdered. The burnt remains of 19-year-old Charlie Gander were found in a burnt-out car at Bunbartha, in the state's north, on Christmas Eve 2022. Kylie Stott, Dimitri D'Elio and Danny Clarke have pleaded not guilty to kidnapping, murder and arson. At the time of the alleged offending Ms Stott was aged 37, Mr D'Elio 24 and Mr Clarke 38. In court in Melbourne prosecutor Mark Gibson KC read out extracts from a statement from the teenager's father, Richard Gander, as well as text messages between the pair in the lead-up to Christmas. At the time Charlie was living with his father in Benalla and in his statement Mr Gander said he often struggled to keep track of his son's whereabouts and had told him to let him know when he would be home. The court heard Charlie would often stay at friends' houses and not been seen for several days. The court heard that on December 21, 2022 Mr Gander texted Charlie to ask, "Are you alive, mate?" "Yeah, I'm alive. Haha," Charlie responded. The pair made a plan to attend Charlie's aunt's home with the rest of the family for Christmas. In his statement Mr Gander said the last message he received from Charlie was on December 21, 2022 saying "Yeah alright, sounds good". Mr Gander said he was at a work function at the Royal Hotel in Benalla on Christmas Eve when he received a text message at 8:45pm from a woman named Rebecca. "Hi Richard, it's Panda's mum. Can you call me, please?" the court was told the message said. Panda was a football friend of Charlie's and his brother Mitchell. In his statement Mr Gander said he immediately called and heard Rebecca crying and saying, "I'm so sorry about Charlie". "Rebecca told me he's been killed before she started repeating, 'I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry,'" Mr Gander said in his statement. Mr Gander said Rebecca told him that Charlie had been burnt in a car in Shepparton but did not know the precise location. Charlie's body was found after emergency services responded to a vehicle fire on Loch Garry Road at Bunbartha, about 15 kilometres north of Shepparton. Forensic pathologist Paul Bedford conducted the autopsy and told the court that extensive fire damage to the body meant that the cause of death could not be ascertained. He also told the court that toxicology reports had found very high levels of the drug methylamphetamine, commonly known as ice, which may have contributed to Charlie's death. The trial before Justice Michael Croucher continues.
ABC News
02-06-2025
- General
- ABC News
Victorian jury hears triple-0 call, views images of human remains in Christmas Eve murder trial
A former CFA captain has told a jury about finding human remains in a burnt car, as three people face trial accused of kidnapping and murdering 19-year-old Charlie Gander. Kylie Stott, Danny Clarke and Dimitri D'Elio, all residing in Shepparton at the time, have been charged with kidnapping, murder and arson following the death of the Benalla teenager on Christmas Eve in 2022. At the time of the alleged offending, Ms Stott was aged 37, Mr D'Elio was 24, and Mr Clarke 38. The trio have pleaded not guilty to all charges. Mr Gander's body was found after emergency services responded to a car fire on Loch Garry Road, in Bunbartha, about 15 kilometres north of Shepparton. Current CFA volunteer and former captain of the Tallygaroopna brigade, Jeffrey Gleeson, told the Victorian Supreme Court of crews finding the car near bushland, "fully engulfed" with "smoke emitting from the car". As two men in breathing apparatus began to put out the fire, Mr Gleeson said he inspected the car's interior and exterior. "I was walking around near the passenger side. I glanced inside the vehicle, saw what I thought were human remains," he told the court. Mr Gleeson conferred with a colleague and then decided to halt the fire suppression process to leave the scene as intact as possible for investigators, he told the court. The jury also viewed photos of the skeletal remains taken by crime scene investigators, including a skull and internal organs. Bunbartha resident Pauline Dempsey, who alerted emergency services via a triple-0 call, was brought as a witness, and an audio recording of her call played to the jury. Mrs Dempsey told the court she saw "billowing black smoke" and was concerned for her home and neighbourhood because of the hot and dry conditions. She told the court she saw the car explode and could be heard telling the triple-0 operator that the car had exploded for a second time while on the call. The jury was also shown footage from police's body-worn cameras as they arrived to inspect the scene. The footage showed Leading Senior Constable Steven Turpin walking towards the burnt-out car, which is situated near trees in a remote area. During the opening days of the trial, crown prosecutor Mark Gibson KC told the the court they would hear a case "about retribution" and "a desire to punish a person" for what they believed they'd done. He alleged the trio acted as a team to kidnap, kill and incinerate Mr Gander in an "unnecessary, senseless and callous" act. He presented evidence to the court including Google searches from Mr D'Elio's phone for a "dead body in burned car" several days before media coverage of the death, as well as records from Ms Stott's phone labelling the victim as "Charlie dead dog Gander". Mr Gibson alleged their motive was that Mr Gander had told police about the criminal conduct of a person called Tyson May, to whom the trio had a "misplaced alliance". On Monday, two of the trio's lawyers rejected the prosecution's argument that the matter was linked to a desire for retribution against the teenager. The jury members are expected to travel to Shepparton and the surrounding area this week to view the sites mentioned in the case as part of court evidence.
