Former Adelaide Crows coach Phil Walsh’s son Cy Walsh to enter plea to murder charge in December
THE son of slain Adelaide Crows coach Phil Walsh will enter his plea to a murder charge in December.
THE son of slain Adelaide Crows coach Phil Walsh will enter his plea to a murder charge in December.
Cy Walsh, 26, appeared in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Tuesday via video link with the secure mental health facility James Nash House.
Prosecutors will allege he murdered his father at their home in the early hours of Friday, July 3.
Prior to his death, Phil Walsh spoke in an interview about wanting to “reconnect” with his son and said his obsession with football made family life difficult at times.
On his online accounts, Cy Walsh spoke of a seemingly idyllic lifestyle combining family time with overseas travel, and invited international visitors to “couch surf” in their home.
Walsh was unconscious and heavily sedated for his first court appearance, and appeared by video link from James Nash House for his second.
During that hearing, prosecutors asked for more time to obtain toxicology results taken from a sample of Walsh’s hair.
The court subsequently heard the case will touch on issues of mental incompetence and drug-induced psychosis.
On Tuesday, prosecutor Lucy Boord told the court the toxicology results had arrived but would need further expert analysis.
She asked for a further adjournment to enable an expert report to be prepared.
Chief Magistrate Mary-Louise Hribal remanded Walsh in custody to answer the charge in December.
Ms Boord further asked Ms Hribal to revoke an order, made by another magistrate, granting the media access to witness statements and other documents filed with the court so far.
She said revocation was necessary due to a television news report about the case that had breached the terms of the order.
Ms Boord stressed all print and radio outlets, and other TV stations, had followed the precise terms of the order.
“The order has caused a great deal of distress to the wife of the deceased, who is also the mother of the accused,” she said.
“It’s also affected a number of other witnesses who have given their statements to police safe in the knowledge, they thought, they were confidential.
“This is still an ongoing investigation and we are still attempting to gain statements from witnesses who, as a direct result of the broadcast, have gone to ground.
“This is an ongoing investigation that is being hampered by the order handed down by the previous magistrate.”
Rebecca Gristwood, for Walsh, supported the application.
Ms Hribal revoked permission to access the documentation and continued an existing suppression order preventing publication of its contents.