Dieter Pfennig, charged with Louise Bell’s murder, suffers heart attack in Yatala prison

CONVICTED murderer and alleged Louise Bell killer Dieter Pfennig is expected to be brought out of an induced coma on Tuesday night following a heart attack in the middle of his trial.

Louise Bell murder accused rushed to hospital

CONVICTED murderer and alleged Louise Bell killer Dieter Pfennig is expected to be brought out of an induced coma on Tuesday night following a heart attack in the middle of his trial.

The Advertiser can confirm Pfennig, 67, spent all of Tuesday in a medically induced coma in the Royal Adelaide Hospital following a cardiac incident at Yatala Labour Prison on Monday evening.

SA Ambulance Service paramedics were called to the prison for a cardiac case on a priority one — the most urgent response — just before 7.30pm.

Paramedics worked on Pfennig at the scene before rushing him to the RAH.

Pfennig’s solicitor, Craig Caldicott, said the future of the trial was now in question.

“Our client was due to be brought out of his coma on Tuesday evening, other than that we have no real updates,” he said.

“The trial has been adjourned until next Tuesday, and hopefully we will know more about his condition tomorrow.”

The trial, which has been running since September last year, was due to adjourn midway through April in any event following the conclusion of contentious DNA evidence.

The Advertiser understands the adjournment is necessary because both prosecutor Sandi McDonald, SC, and acting Justice Michael David — who came out of retirement to hear the trial — have commitments overseas.

Pfennig’s heart attack is the latest unexpected incident to delay the high profile trial, following on from 11th hour changes in legal representation, difficulties arranging overseas witnesses and requests by defence counsel for adjournments and $250,000 in extra legal aid funding.

Pfennig has pleaded not guilty to having abducted Louise, 10, from her Hackham West home on January 4, 1983 and murdering her sometime before March 1 that year.

He was convicted of Michael Black’s murder in 1990 and was serving his 38-year jail term at Port Lincoln Prison when he was arrested and charged with Louise’s murder in November, 2013.