Rodney Stephen Rose convicted at eleventh-hour guilty plea to death of Steven Hadley Ponton in Ballina

A man accused of the brutal bashing death of Ballina man Steven Hadley Ponton has admitted to killing him moments before a three week trial was due to begin. Here’s what happened.

Steven Ponton, 54, was found unconscious on Holden Lane, Ballina. Picture :Google View images

A man accused of the brutal bashing death of Ballina man Steven Hadley Ponton has admitted to killing him moments before a three week murder trial was due to begin.

Rodney Stephen Rose, 54, had pleaded not guilty to murder, however, moments before the Supreme Court trial in Lismore was due to start, the Crown alerted the judge about an alternative charge of manslaughter being accepted.

The plea of guilty to manslaughter was accepted in full satisfaction of the indictment, with the murder charge withdrawn.

Almost three years have passed since Ponton, then 54, was found lying unconscious and with critical head injuries on the concrete in Holden Lane at Ballina – just metres from a police station.

Ballina Police Station.

Rose was brought into Lismore Court on Monday before Justice Richard Weinstein for an expected three-week trial after pleading not guilty to murder in April last year.

Yet within minutes of his arraignment, Rose, dressed in a green prison issue tracksuit, voiced his not guilty plea to murder then uttered under his breath “guilty” to a second indictment – the alternative charge of manslaughter.

Justice Weinstein accepted the plea and convicted Rose for manslaughter.

The gallery, which had filled with jurors yet to be empaneled was dismissed.

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

Defence for Rose, Jason Watts, told the court his client was “keen to proceed to sentence”.

“There is very significant childhood dysfunction and trauma,” Mr Watts said.

“ … he has told some people but not us, we want to get a forensic psychologist.”

Mr Watts said the earliest possible appointment was February 21, possibly later with a six to eight week waiting period for a report.

Justice Weinstein told the court he was “going to do this in a just way” and sentence Rose sooner rather than later.

“There is very significant evidence we need to bring before the court for sentence,” Mr Watts said.

Lismore Courthouse

Police allege Rose assaulted Mr Ponton inside a Tamar St unit on February 5, 2022, before the older man stumbled out of the unit and lost consciousness.

Paramedics found Mr Ponton in Holden Lane, just metres from Ballina Police Station. He was taken to Lismore Base Hospital and died the next day as a result of his injuries.

Police later raided a Ballina home and charged Michelle McLennan, then 44, with concealing an indictable offence – murder.

McLennan is due to face court for her trial hearing in March.

Rose was ordered to reappear before the court for his sentencing hearing on February 17.

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Originally published as Rodney Stephen Rose convicted at eleventh-hour guilty plea to death of Steven Hadley Ponton in Ballina