Young woman talks about the night her brother allegedly murdered her boyfriend

The young woman whose brother is accused of murdering her boyfriend in Far North Queensland has told a court she struggles to think about the night when “chaos” and “hell broke out”.

Rodney Anderson Frampton, 34, died on Friday October 7, 2022, and Nathan Morris, 21, has pleaded not guilty to his murder in the Cairns Supreme Court, where he is on trial this week . Picture: GoFundME

A teenager who cradled her dying boyfriend’s head as he bled out from stab wounds in her house has told a jury the “chaos” unfolded so quickly, she doesn’t know what happened.

The recorded evidence of Hayley Morris was played to the Cairns Supreme Court on Thursday during the trial of her older brother Nathan Andrew Shane Morris, 21, who has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Rodney Frampton, 34, the boyfriend of then-18-year-old Ms Morris.

Mr Frampton died on the night of October 7, 2022 at the Caravonica home of the Morris family. The court has been told he was stabbed five times to the chest and back and that one of the wounds was 15cm deep, passing through skin, a rib, and his heart.

Hayley Morris said she struggled to recall the events of that day, but remembered going fishing with her boyfriend then having a few drinks at the family home.

“Everything went flying — I’m still asking myself questions — what the f--- – what did they do?” Ms Morris said.

“The fun day turned into a horrible night.

“I remember doing good things and the f------ chaos happened at 9pm that night.”

Forensic police officers at the scene of an alleged stabbing in Caravonica. Photo: Alison Paterson.

Ms Morris said there was violence and arguments in the family home but denied she had assaulted anyone.

“Those times were all violence and I was actually innocent. They let me down.”

During the trial, body worn camera footage from the first police officer on-scene showed him walking past Ms Morris’s father, who the court was told “slept through” the entire episode after drinking, and was passed out just outside the door.

On the inside of the same doorframe, Mr Frampton could be seen slumped against the wall underneath a trailing blood smear, with Ms Morris nursing his head.

Pooled and splattered blood could be seen on the floor and walls in other part of the house before a child wandered to the door, then walked away.

Ms Morris told the court her brother generally “stayed in his room and did his own thing”.

The jury trial of Nathan Morris, 21, over the death of his sister’s boyfriend in October 2022, is expected to last a week. Picture: Brendan Radke

Mr and Ms Morris’s mother Janelle Salt also gave evidence this week, breaking down several times in the witness box, describing her son as “always quiet” and agreeing he had applied to the army and been offered a place before the events happened.

Ms Salt said she had been subject to domestic violence by her daughter, Hayley, who she said would often threaten, spit at and assault her, and had hit her mother with a broom handle on the evening of Mr Frampton’s death.

“Rodney and Hayley were getting cranky with me, saying “f--- off, get out of here … Hayley was hitting me with the broom and he (Rodney) was saying “F---ing kill the b----, c---,” Ms Salt told the court

“After she (Hayley) was whacking me with it (broken broom handle), she threw it beside me and that is where it stayed.”

Neighbours from Melinga Close, Caravonica, gave evidence in court this week that they would often hear loud music coming from the house and would sometimes also hear yelling. Picture: Alison Paterson

Ms Salt said Nathan had “rushed” past her after the altercation that night, and she heard a punching sound.

The court was told Nathan had punched his sister, who fled to another room, then another family member started screaming.

“I went to see what was happening and the young fella (Mr Frampton) just hit the wall and crashed,” Ms Salt said.

“He went down. We tried to help him. Hayley was screaming and everybody was screaming and Hayley put his head in her lap. It was a shock.”

Under cross examination by defence barrister Tim Grau, Ms Salt said she had seen Mr Frampton punch her daughter in the face in the week before his death – an incident that she had recounted to her son, Nathan Morris.

Ms Salt said her son had never been violent towards her.

The trial is expected to continue for at least the rest of the week.

Originally published as Young woman talks about the night her brother allegedly murdered her boyfriend