Bobby Medcraft murder trial day 4: More details of his last hours
The murder trial of five Tasmanians charged with killing Bobby Medcraft is in week two. Harrowing footage has been shown of attempts to keep the stricken deceased alive. LIVE UPDATES >>
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UPDATE 1.30PM: The jury in the trial of five Tasmanians charged with murdering young Burnie dad Bobby William Medcraft, 23, has been shown harrowing body-worn camera footage of the moments after the deceased was cut with a sword.
Geoffrey James Deverell, 37, Kelsey Maree Ford, 24, her brother Lucas Shane Ford, 31, Michael William Hanlon, 54, and Cody Christopher Shane Sheehan, 33, have all pleaded not guilty to murdering Mr Medcraft.
Body-worn camera from three officers, including Sgt Alex Bonde and First-Class Constable Patrick Roberts, were shown to the jury.
The officers were among the first on-scene in the immediate aftermath of the melee outside a Ritchie Ave, Downlands address which saw Mr Medcraft allegedly bashed, then “chopped” with a sword.
The officers arrived on-scene at 3.51am on March 29, 2020, but it wasn’t until 3.58am that Sgt Bonde realised how severe Mr Medcraft’s injuries were.
“We need a tourniquet,” Sgt Bonde said, as he urged Mr Medcraft’s party, including girlfriend Kalinda Morrisson, to try to keep the deceased conscious.
“Bob, Bob, Bob, oi, open your eyes, Bobby, hey, come on mate,” a friend attending to him is heard to say.
A voice on Sgt Bonde’s radio is heard to say, “He’s deteriorating pretty quickly”.
Sgt Bonde urges Mr Medcraft’s friend’s to “keep talking to him”.
At one point, Sgt Bonde’s body-worn camera captures the officer changing his gloves, which were “soaked in blood” from applying the tourniquet.
Earlier in the footage, Mr Deverell appeals to Sgt Bonde: “If someone threatens to stab you, what would you do?” he said.
Sgt Bonde briefed paramedics when they arrived after 4am.
“There’s a live bleed at the leg, I’ve tied the tourniquet as best I could,” he said.
Shortly after, a voice is heard to say, “I don’t think he’s breathing”.
Sgt Bonde interviewed Ms Ford after the four male defendants were placed under arrest and loaded into the back of divvy vans.
“I don’t know (what happened), I was in the car,” she said.
Ms Ford denied seeing what, if any, weapons had been loaded into her vehicle.
EARLIER: The trial of five Tasmanians charged with murdering a young Burnie dad has resumed with Tasmania Police officers telling the jury of their interactions with the deceased in his final hours.
South Burnie man Bobby William Medcraft, 23, died on the morning of March 29, 2020, after being cut to the back of his leg with a sword, causing him to bleed out.
Geoffrey James Deverell, 37, Kelsey Maree Ford, 24, her brother Lucas Shane Ford, 31, Michael William Hanlon, 54, and Cody Christopher Shane Sheehan, 33, have all pleaded not guilty to murdering Mr Medcraft.
Last week, the jury was told there was a running melee throughout the night of Mr Medcraft’s death between two groups of people, sparked by a social media message mistakenly sent to the wrong person, which soon turned inflammatory.
The interactions ended with a wild “car chase” through the suburbs of Burnie between the two groups, before coming to a violent denouement outside the Ritchie Ave, Downlands home of Mr Medcraft’s friend Kayden Morrisson.
Taking the stand on Monday, Tasmania Police Sgt Alex Bonde stepped the jury through what happened about 2am outside 48 Thorne St, Acton, the home of Ms Ford.
The court earlier heard Mr Medcraft and his friends travelled there seeking her brother Mr Ford, with whom the feud was originally with.
Sgt Bonde’s body-worn camera was shown the showdown, which involved Mr Medcraft and friends Mr Morrisson and Jake MacDonald, and the defendants.
While there was no physical violence on this occasion, multiple people are depicted screaming and coming into proximity with members of the other party.
At one point, Mr Hanlon told Sgt Bonde, “They come around to his (Mr Ford’s) sister’s (Ms Ford) place to bash him (Mr Ford).”
Also depicted on the body-worn camera is a friend of the defendants’, who says, “They started this shit... We’ve got kids inside, these c***s are threatening us and s***.”
After the two groups were separated, Mr Medcraft gave his account of the dispute’s genesis.
“If someone wants to mouth off about my kid, that’s the f***ing end, I don’t care how long I spend in jail” he told Sgt Bonde.
Mr Medcraft alleged one of the defendants told him, “I’ll punch his (Mr Medcraft’s two-year-old son) head into the ground”.
Earlier in the night, about 1am, former Tasmania Police officer Daniel Eastwood was called to Mr Medcraft's Cunningham Rd, South Burnie address in response to reports of a fight, the jury was told.
Officer Eastwood’s body-worn camera depicted Mr Medcraft and girlfriend Kalinda Morrisson sitting out the front of the house alone.
Mr Medcraft, who was drinking a vodka cruiser, said he had just been having an animated phone discussion. Officer Eastwood said under cross-examination Mr Medcraft appeared “affected by alcohol”.
The interaction ended without incident.
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Originally published as Bobby Medcraft murder trial day 4: More details of his last hours
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