Liam Murray to stand trial over pedestrian death on Flinders St

A Melbourne lawyer has been ordered to stand trial after a woman was fatally struck by his reversing car on a busy city road.

A high-flying Melbourne lawyer and MCC member charged over the death of a pedestrian in the city’s CBD last year has been ordered to stand trial in the County Court of Victoria.

Caulfield man Liam Murray, a senior associate at KCL Law, fronted the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, where he pleaded not guilty to charges relating to the death.

Police allege a 44-year-old Richmond woman, was struck by the accused’s reversing car as she crossed Flinders St after getting off a tram on the morning of May 26, 2022.

The woman was rushed to The Royal Melbourne Hospital, but died about two weeks later.

On Thursday, her mother and sister were seen sitting in the court room as Mr Murray pleaded not guilty to dangerous driving causing death.

Melbourne lawyer Liam Murray outside the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Thursday. Picture : NCA NewsWire / Nicki Connolly

On Thursday, Magistrate Malcolm Thomas said that he was satisfied there was a strong enough prosecution case to warrant Mr Murray standing trial.

Witness Kathleen Hutchins told the court on Thursday she able to see the top half of someone “fast-moving” coming towards her, before she witnessed the impact and saw a “lump of hair going up.”

Under cross examination from Mr Murray’s lawyer, Sam Norton, Ms Hutchins, a nurse, agreed she witnessed the incident as she was waiting for an Uber in a nearby laneway.

Liam Murray has pleaded not guilty to charges relating to the death of a pedestrian on Flinders St in May last year. Picture: KCL Law.

Another witness, who was on the same tram as the deceased woman, saw the woman cross Flinders St “at a normal speed,” the court heard.

The witness agreed under cross examination from Mr Norton that they recalled seeing the victim being “lifted up” after being struck by the car.

“Yes, I saw it,” the witness said.

Detective Senior Constable James Morgan, from Victoria Police’s Major Collision Investigation Unit, agreed under cross examination that there had been no recorded phone use concerning Mr Murray’s mobile at a relevant time, and said tests of the accused did not reveal the presence of any alcohol.

The court also heard that Mr Murray had no prior convictions.

Investigators at the scene of the crash on Flinders St, in Melbourne’s CBD, in May last year. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Andrew Henshaw

At the conclusion of the hearing Mr Murray was asked to stand by Magistrate Thomas and to enter a plea on the charge of dangerous driving causing death.

“Not guilty,” Mr Murray said.

On his employer’s website, Mr Murray is described as a part of KCL Law’s Construction and Infrastructure team, as well as a member of the exclusive Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC), the Victorian Institute of Law and the Victorian Division of the Property Council of Australia.

It said he joined the firm in 2018 and became a Senior Associate in 2020, after graduating from Deakin University.

Mr Murray will attend the County Court for a directions hearing on April 27.

Originally published as Liam Murray to stand trial over pedestrian death on Flinders St