Scarsdale murder trial: week one wrap

The prosecution allege Darren Wilson, 34, of Ballarat, and another man killed Timothy O'Brien, 14, with an axe at a Scarsdale house in the early hours of January 5, 2013.
Crown prosecutor Andrew Tinney SC has told the jury Wilson's relationship had began to "deteriorate" with his first cousin, Peter Williams, in the weeks leading up to the alleged murder of Timothy.
Timothy was Mr Williams' stepson and the Crown have said the pair had an "inseparable" bond which ultimately cost Timothy his life.
The Crown allege Wilson had been been devising a plan to bash Mr Williams and had even told a police officer days before Timothy's death that he would kill his cousin.
The Crown allege Wilson had developed some form of relationship with a 16-year-old girl living at the Scarsdale home where the gruesome scene would unfold.
The Crown have told the jury that the girl knew Peter Williams too, and that she also wanted Wilson to bash him.
The Crown say Wilson and the girl devised a plan to lure Mr Williams to her house, with Wilson waiting there to bash him.
The jury was told that the group did this on January 5.
Mr Tinney said a female, Lisa Trezise, picked up Wilson and the other man in Ballarat before driving them to the girl's Scarsdale home sometime after midnight.
Trezise then drove the girl and her friend to Peter Williams' home in Smythesdale, and the group lured him back to the Scarsdale home, saying there was prowlers.
Timothy went with his stepfather, armed with a baseball bat.
The Crown said Wilson was disguised with a pillowcase over his head and jumped out of a room and began bashing Mr Williams on arrival.
Timothy used the baseball bat to hit Wilson, knocking him to the ground.
The Crown allege the other man, carrying an axe, was also hit by Timothy.
They allege this man then chased Timothy out of the house and jumped on his back, strangling him.
He is then alleged to have began striking Timothy with the blunt side of the axe.
The Crown say Wilson then came out of the house and began punching Timothy.
He is accused of then picking up the axe, turning it to its bladed side, and repeatedly striking Timothy.

THE DEFENCE:

In his opening address to the jury, Wilson's barrister, Tom Danos, said Wilson was knocked out by Timothy's blows with the baseball bat and that his co-accused had acted alone.
Mr Danos described Timothy as an innocent victim: "(It was) a callous and brutal attack, totally unjustified and in circumstances in which (Timmy) was clearly an innocent victim."
Mr Danos said Wilson’s co-accused “went off on a frolic of his own” and there was nothing to suggest his client “assisted in any shape of form in the attack on poor Timmy O’Brien”.

THE CROWN'S WITNESSES, week one:

Leonie Hurry

Woman who owned the house where the alleged murder took place.
Said the girl who helped lure Peter Williams to the home had moved in there in December, 2012,
Said Mr Williams had helped her in the past with gardening and maintenance at the property and he'd asked if the girl wanted a fridge when she moved in.
Witness told jury that the girl living at the property had expressed concern about Peter Williams, she said he'd been "coming around".
"She felt that he'd been looking at her through the windows," Ms Hurry told the jury.

Kenneth Hudgson

A builder who did some work on the girl's house.
Said, under cross-examination, that he'd seen Peter Williams at the house often and mentioned one particular day when Mr Williams was "dressed up", while most days he'd be in working clothes.
The witness also said Mr Williams would offer his labour "for nothing" to the girl.
He said the girl had told him that a set of keys to the house had gone missing and that she suspected Mr Williams of taking them.
"She wasn't too comfortable with it," he told the jury.

Craig Beams

Had known Wilson for about four months leading up to the alleged murder.
Was with Wilson and another witness, Jarrod Wallis, when they went to Peter Williams' home on January 1 and 2, 2013, to work on a car.
Described Wilson as "a highly strung man" who had began to talk about "flogging" Mr Williams constantly.
He said Wilson believed Mr Williams had been bashing Timothy and molesting his step daughter.
He said he and Wilson drove back out to Mr Williams' home after the first day of working on the car.
He said Wilson entered the house, kicked in a shed door and made him (Beams) write a note and leave it on the door.
The note said: "Don't f*** around," he said.
The next day the group were back at Mr Williams' home, working on the car.
He said Mr Williams was "actually scared" that day and suspected Wilson had been the one who broke in the night before.
The group were meant to go back for a third day to work in the car, he said. But they realised they were "not welcome".
He said he was with Wilson on January 4 when they went to a shopping centre for Wilson to buy a phone.
He was buying the phone for the girl who lived at Scarsdale.
He said Wilson was "trying to shag" the girl.
He went with Wilson when he gave the girl the phone, later that day.
He said Wilson and the girl could be heard discussing a plan to lure Mr Williams to the house, so Wilson could bash him.
"He said 'you get him out here and I'll flog him'," the witness said.

Glen Plover

Owns Plover Security.
Wilson had worked for Plover Security.
Said one of Wilson's jobs had been watching a construction site at Ararat prison, overnight.
Said Wilson called him on the morning of January 5 and told him he'd been bashed by "a couple of blokes with baseball bats at a party".
He said he told Wilson to go to the hospital after Wilson said he'd been knocked out and was unconscious for "some time".

Douglas Coombe

Also worked for Plover Security and knew Wilson
Told jury Wilson called him one night from Ararat and asked that Coombe come and pick up Timothy.
He picked Timothy up and dropped him home in Smythesdale.

Gregory Williams

First cousin of both Wilson and Mr Williams.
Said he'd been drinking with Wilson the night before the alleged murder (January 4).
They started at Seymours Hotel and moved to the Entourage Bar in Mair Street.
Said Wilson was getting texts and phone calls from the girl living at Scarsdale.
He said Wilson was picked up from the bar by Lisa Trezise, about 1am.
He also said Wilson believed Mr Williams "owed him" for the work he'd done on a car.

Jarrod Wallis

Also with Craig Beams and Wilson when Wilson bought the phone for the girl.
Said he also heard Wilson and the girl discussing a plan to lure Peter Williams to the house and bash him.
Said he had missed calls from Wilson on the morning of the alleged murder, about 10am.

The trial before Justice Betty King continues, with the jury to hear the evidence of Peter Williams on Monday.

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Scarsdale murder trial: week one wrap

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