Rodney Stephen Rose pleads not guilty to murder of Steven Hadley Ponton in Holden Lane, Ballina

A man accused of the horrific bashing death of Steven Hadley Ponton on the state’s North Coast will defend the charges at trial. Here’s the latest from court.

A man was found unconscious in Holden Lane at Ballina in February 2022 and died the next day from serious head injuries.

A man accused of assaulting another man in the state’s north who subsequently died from his injuries will defend allegations of murder.

Rodney Stephen Rose, now 54, appeared via videolink in prison greens before Justice Helen Wilson in the Supreme Court on Friday.

Justice Wilson formally arraigned Rose who barked “Not guilty” before storming out of the AVL room.

More than two years have passed since Steven Hadley Ponton was found lying unconscious on the ground in Holden Lane at Ballina – metres from the police station – suffering critical head injuries.

Ballina Police Station.

NSW Ambulance paramedics treated the 54-year-old man at the scene before he was rushed to Lismore Base Hospital. He died as a result of his injuries the next day.

Officers from Richmond Police District, assisted by the State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad established Strike Force Bolar to investigate the circumstances surrounding the man’s death and how he came to be injured.

Strike Force detectives along with Qld Police detectives arrested Rose in Cairns on February 18, 2022.

Rose was successfully extradited and formally charged with murder at Tweed Heads Police Station on February 21, 2022.

Police allege Mr Rose fatally assaulted Mr Ponton inside a unit on Tamar St, Ballina before the older man stumbled out of the unit and lost consciousness, falling to the concrete.

The man was allegedly found with serious head injuries in Holden Lane, Ballina. Picture: Tessa Flemming

Justice Wilson said because Lismore court was “heavily listed”, there was only a three-week window open for trial and it must be conducted with “expedition”.

“If the trial runs over there’ll be a problem,” Justice Wilson said.

Rose will remain on remand and was ordered to be in attendance for his trial.

Rose has been committed to trial in the Supreme Court sitting in Lismore beginning February 3, 2025.

The 54-year-old was found unconscious on Holden Lane, Ballina. Picture: Google

“The co-accused (Ms McLennan) I understand has now been severed and remitted to the District Court,” Justice Wilson said.

About 9.35am on February 21, 2022, police executed a search warrant at a Ballina home, where they arrested 44-year-old Michelle McLennan.

Ms McLennan was taken to Ballina Police Station and charged with accessory after the fact to murder and contravene AVO (DV).

It is alleged Ms McLennan knew about the murder and failed to come forward to police with information that could have aided in investigations.

She remains on bail to appear before Lismore District Court for mention on April 10.

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