Nathan Morris’, 21, family home “wracked with serious domestic violence” when he allegedly stabbed Rodney Frampton to death

A 21-year-old’s family home was “wracked wtih serious family violence” when he allegedly stabbed his sister’s boyfriend five times with a steak knife after playing Call of Duty, a court has been told.

Rodney Anderson Frampton, 34, died from stab wounds on October 7, 2022, in Caravonica. Picture: GoFundME

A 21-year-old’s family home was “wracked with serious family violence” when he allegedly stabbed his sister’s boyfriend five times with a steak knife after playing Call of Duty, a court has been told.

Nathan Andrew Shane Morris, 21, has pleaded not guilty in Cairns Supreme Court to one count of murder over the stabbing death of Rodney Anderson Frampton, 34, at a Caravonica community housing address on the evening of October 7, 2022.

Crown Prosecutor Elizabeth Kelso told the jury that seven family members were living in the Melinga Close home on the day of the killing, and most of them were drinking that day, but not Mr Morris, who was 19 at the time.

She said Mr Morris shared one of the three bedrooms with a cousin-sister, Yvette Ross-Kelly, and younger cousin, 10.

In the other bedrooms were his sister, Hayley Morris and her boyfriend, Mr Frampton and his mother and father.

Rodney Anderson Frampton, 34, was stabbed five times and died on October 7, 2022. Picture: Facebook

Ms Kelso described the events of the fatal day to the jury, saying Mr Morris rode scooters with his 10 year old relative, and played video games Call of Duty and Afterlife that day, later eating dinner and having a strong coffee and Nutella.

All other family members spent the day drinking, with Mr Morris’s sister and her boyfriend fishing and drinking, and his parents and a cousin-sister drinking around six litres of red wine during the day at the house.

In the evening, an argument broke out between Mr Morris’s younger sister, Hayley Morris and her mother Janelle Salt, when her mother asked her to be quiet so she could sleep, the court was told.

Hayley tried to hit her mother with a broomstick, the court was told.

“The relationship between Hayley and her mother was fraught … she would swear at her mother, threaten her mother and assault her mother. Hayley Morris’s treatment of her mother was, frankly, quite despicable,” Ms Kelso said.

Hayley’s relationship with her boyfriend was also “volatile”, she said.

Forensic police officers at the scene of an alleged stabbing in Caravonica in October 2022. Photo: Alison Paterson.

First witness in the trial, Yvette Ross-Kelly, told the court she had seen Mr Frampton and Hayley behave violently towards Hayley’s parents in the weeks leading up to the incident, and also heard an argument that evening from her bedroom.

“I couldn’t understand what they were growling about – having a verbal abuse – got me up, I come to the door to look,” Ms Ross-Kelly said.

She said she saw Mr Frampton bleeding, and slumped over and called triple-0.

During opening addresses, Ms Kelso said the jury would learn that Mr Morris had stabbed Mr Frampton five times with a kitchen steak knife to the chest, top of shoulder and back of shoulder.

The jury heard the wounds were between 6cm and 16cm deep, with one fracturing Mr Frampton’s rib and penetrating his lung and another passed through a rib and perforating a ventricle in his heart.

“Mr Frampton bled out and died at Maralinga Close in Caravonica,” said Ms Kelso.

Nathan Morris, 21, said he had intended to “immobilise” Mr Frampton, pictured, and has pleaded not guilty to a charge of murder. Picture: GoFundME

Mr Morris told police who questioned him the next day that he had been concerned by what his sister was saying that night and had been “stressed” and “shaky” after drinking a very strong coffee and playing video games all day.

He told police he had intended to “immobilise” and “incapacitate” Mr Frampton.

Defence Barrister Tim Grau said the household was “wracked with serious domestic violence” and asked the jury to listen very carefully to the evidence related to Mr Morris’s “intention”, and whether that might have been to “protect himself and his mother from a potential attack”.

Justice James Henry told the jury they must be satisfied that Mr Morris intended to cause death or grievous bodily harm if it was to convict of murder.

He told the six-man, six-woman jury that the trial was expected to take four to five days.

Originally published as Nathan Morris’, 21, family home “wracked with serious domestic violence” when he allegedly stabbed Rodney Frampton to death