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ABC News
2 days ago
- ABC News
Defence casts doubt over key witness, CCTV evidence in Adelaide murder trial
A man accused of the shooting murder of his tenant in Adelaide's north should be found not guilty because the evidence of a key witness and crucial CCTV of the incident are unreliable, his defence barrister says. Matthew Charles Draganoff, 48, is standing trial in South Australia's Supreme Court after pleading not guilty to the murder of Simon Middleton, 49, at Viriginia, on the northern outskirts of Adelaide, in March 2021. Defence barrister Michelle Barnes, for Mr Draganoff, told the jury CCTV footage of the shooting was of "quite poor quality" and could not clearly identify an offender because it was "too far away, too dark and too grainy". She said it was difficult to see key detail such as clothing and "not good enough" to identify the shooter or draw any inferences about the physical appearance of the shooter. "You should be careful not to jump to conclusions or to assume what the footage shows," she said. She said it was not enough to think that Mr Draganoff "maybe", "possibly" or "probably" shot Mr Middleton, because in those scenarios, "you could still have a doubt". "Mr Draganoff is charged with an extremely serious offence, he must not be convicted on evidence that is weak, questionable or has gaps." Ms Barnes also told the jury one of the prosecution's key witnesses was "simply not a truthful witness" and his account of what happened contained "too many inconsistencies". "There were that many inconsistencies, different versions and lies in the accounts he gave at different times that you just cannot accept that he is a truthful witness," she said. "They add up to a picture of a witness who is simply not telling you the truth and whose evidence you cannot accept." Ms Barnes told the jury a second key witness, however, gave evidence without inconsistencies which she said was "consistent with Mr Draganoff's innocence". She said despite that witness spending time with Mr Draganoff in the days prior to the alleged murder "he knew nothing about any plan held by Matthew Draganoff to shoot Mr Middleton". Previously, the court heard Mr Draganoff was accused of shooting Mr Middleton three times — in the head, chest and buttocks — with a high-powered Marlin 30-30 rifle at a property on Brady Street on March 8, 2021. Opening the trial in April, prosecutor Lucy Boord SC told the jury it was alleged there had been "growing animosity" between the pair over a "range of issues" prior to the shooting, including a dispute over the sale of a stolen caravan and Mr Middleton living rent-free at one of Mr Draganoff's properties. "In the lead up to the murder, there'd been an accumulation of grievances held by the accused towards the deceased," Ms Boord had told the jury. She had told the jury the alleged final "catalyst" for the crime came after a "home invasion" that was reported to police on March 6, and that Mr Draganoff had believed Mr Middleton and his friends had been stealing from him. Ms Boord had also told the jury Mr Middleton had been on the phone just prior to being shot, and a witness had reported hearing him say "oh no, don't shoot" before screaming and then three shots. Ms Barnes will continue the defence closing address on Wednesday.
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
'Ban coaches to help prevent head-on-head tackles'
Rugby union should consider banning head coaches from matches if their players are repeatedly involved in head-on-head tackles, says former England women's boss Simon Middleton. In the Women's Six Nations opening round, France centre Gabrielle Vernier was sent off for a head-on-head hit in their win over Ireland, followed by Wales' Georgia Evans receiving a second yellow card for a similar tackle in their defeat by Scotland. In this year's men's Six Nations, Ireland centre Garry Ringrose received a red card for a head-on-head tackle on Wales' Ben Thomas. Middleton - England head coach from 2015 to 2023 - suggests that three illegal head-on-head tackles in a game should result in a one-match touchline ban for that team's head coach. "You want to make it impactful and resonate," Middleton told BBC Sport. "If I am a defence coach and I know the action of my player is going to impact the availability of the head coach then I am probably going to be more diligent and aware of the consequences of what I am coaching. "As a head coach you are charged with overseeing your coaching group so ultimately the buck stops with the head coach. "I do think reducing head contact in rugby is moving in the right direction, but there has been a notable change in terms of the nature of incidents now being more head-on-head than shoulder-to-head." Middleton coached the Red Roses to the World Cup final in 2022, where his side lost to New Zealand after playing the majority of the game with 14 players following a high, head-on-head tackle by wing Lydia Thompson. The 59-year-old says more detail around tackle height from his coaching team could have prevented the red card. "We paid a huge price for it in the World Cup and rightly so as that was the correct decision and we have to live with that," he said. "I look back on the build-up to the World Cup and think 'what was our part in that?' We clearly played a part. "We have to be accountable as it is never just about the players, it is about why the player has actioned in that way. There are some things you can't control but most of the actions are a product of what they are coached." What next for English rugby as Sweeney survives vote? Women's Six Nations: Wales v England match preview, coverage & key stats Women's Six Nations: Fixtures, results, stats & BBC coverage After leaving England's coaching team in 2023, Middleton took up a role with Japan's women's team as their high-performance advisor. He says head coach Lesley McKenzie plays a "safe and entertaining" brand of rugby, which could be taught across the sport. Last year more than 300 former football, rugby league and rugby union players in the United Kingdom took legal action over brain injuries they claim to have sustained during their playing careers. McKenzie, who also sits on World Rugby's women's high-performance rugby committee, coaches a double tackle where one player chops the opponents' legs and the other targets the ball to prevent offloads. "Lesley is obsessed with tackle technique, body management and functional movement in the contact area," Middleton adds. "Physically there is a disparity with most sides, so Japan have to be technically outstanding with what they do. "I can't remember, in the two years I've been with them, a red or yellow card for any high shots, and penalties for head contacts there has been maybe been a handful. "There is a huge investment and spotlight on that area." Middleton believes that a by-product of coaches being more diligent with tackle technique is that the game becomes more entertaining to watch because of fewer stoppages to review high tackles. The argument that tackling lower will mean teams can break defences more easily through offloading is also something he disagrees with. "You can still tackle on the ball and safely, I don't subscribe to the argument you can't risk tackling on the ball," he added. "Most offloading games are not negated by teams tackling on the ball but by tackling really low and aggressively. "That takes time and space away and puts their decision-making under pressure. That is more impactful." England's 'superstars' return for Cardiff challenge Listen: Sport's Strangest Crimes - Bloodgate Listen to the latest Rugby Union Weekly podcast
