Steven Hainsworth is the prime suspect in three murders — and professes his innocence. And once again he’s in jail for violent crimes
The prime suspect in three South Australian cold-case murders has been jailed in Victoria after being convicted of violence and theft offences — a similar modus operandi in each of the unsolved killings.
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The prime suspect in three South Australian cold-case murders has been jailed in Victoria after being convicted of violence and theft offences.
The offending is similar to the modus operandi – violence and theft – in each of the unsolved murders that invalid pensioner Steven Hainsworth has been linked to by Major Crime detectives.
In each of the three murders, the victims – Phyllis Harrison, Beverley Hanley and Stephen Newton – were either bashed or stabbed before their homes were ransacked.
The Advertiser can reveal Hainsworth, 44, pleaded guilty in Mildura Magistrates Court to offences including one count of recklessly causing injury, one count of committing an indictable offence while on bail, two counts of burglary and one count of theft.
He has been jailed for six months and must complete a 12-month community corrections order when he is released.
The order requires him to undergo violent offender programs and seek treatment and rehabilitation for alcohol abuse.
It also can be revealed Hainsworth faced court in Mildura in August 2016 for identical offending.
He was convicted and sentenced to 90 days’ jail for offences including burglary, theft, handling and receiving stolen goods and dealing with property suspected to be the proceeds of crime.
In June last year, Hainsworth outed himself as the suspect in the three murders – the day Major Crime detectives revealed they believed the same person was responsible for all three deaths.
Hainsworth acknowledged he was the suspect but denied any involvement in the deaths and declared himself “an innocent man’’.
Major Crime detectives have considerable circumstantial and forensic evidence linking Hainsworth to the three unsolved murders with investigations being conducted by an nine-strong taskforce – dubbed Resolute – now at an advanced stage.
Hainsworth was living just two streets from Mrs Hanley – his aunty – at the time of her murder in 2010, after being released from prison a few months earlier.
He was living next door to Ms Harrison at Elizabeth South when she was murdered in 1998. She was heard arguing with a male she knew before being killed.
And, at the time of Mr Newton’s murder at Mt Gambier in 2011, he was living in the town.
Mr Newton was a known associate. Detectives believe it is likely more than one person was involved in his murder.
Hainsworth moved to Mildura from South Australia after being released from Mt Gambier Prison in 2014.
He served a 15-month sentence for brutally bashing a man who gave a statement to Major Crime detectives that linked him to the murder of Mr Newton.
He also served a three-month jail sentence after being convicted of the theft of property from Mr Newton’s house following the murder.
He stole a plasma TV, a whipper snipper, a PlayStation console, 39 PlayStation games, 25 DVDs and seven souvenir banknotes.
The property was recovered from pawn shops in Mt Gambier.
Major Crime detectives on Friday declined to comment on the development in the case but it is known detectives are still seeking information from former associates of Hainsworth both in Mt Gambier and in Adelaide’s northern suburbs.
They believe it is likely there are individuals in both locations with information that can assist the inquiry and have urged them to come forward.
The Advertiser can reveal Hainsworth’s offending in Mildura that has landed him in prison happened in two separate incidents.
In the first, in October last year, he broke into a home on Benetook Ave, Mildura, via a rear window while the residents were out. He stole a television, a Nintendo console and DVDs. Police matched him to the crime scene using forensic evidence.
In the second incident, in November, he assaulted, attempted to strangle and threw bottles at his daughter’s partner after an argument over money.
While Hainsworth was convicted of recklessly causing injury in connection with that incident, additional charges of unlawful assault and assault with a weapon were withdrawn. Beverley Hanley’s daughter Robyn Schaefer yesterday said she was “not at all surprised’’ to learn that Hainsworth had been convicted in Victoria.
Ms Schaefer said she still hoped there would be a breakthrough in the police investigation into her mother’s murder.
“Every time I get a call from a private number I think this is it, this is the call I am waiting on,’’ she said.
“I would just urge anyone who has any information that can help to step up and talk to the police.
“If it were their parents and I knew something I am sure they would want me to step up too and do the right thing.’’
Ms Schaefer’s mother was attacked after being confronted at her house on Homington Rd at Elizabeth North on October 6, 2010. She was severely beaten with a cricket bat and suffered multiple stab wounds.
Her house was ransacked and her handbag stolen. Hainsworth’s DNA was found at the scene on a phone plug pulled from the wall.
Anyone with any information on the three murders should contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
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