Murder accused Scott Kennedy fronts Supreme Court for his trial over death of Narelle Emerson

A man accused of murdering a Morwell woman is blaming the death on a now-dead neighbour who was in an on/off relationship with her.

Scott Kennedy’s murder trial has begun over the death of Narelle Emerson. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Penny Stephens

A man accused of murdering a Morwell woman is blaming her death on a neighbour, who has since died, who was in an on/off relationship with her.

Scott Kennedy is charged with the murder of 45-year-old Narelle Emerson who was found unresponsive in her Sydney Rd home on October 18, 2019 and later died from her injuries at The Alfred hospital.

A three-week jury trial got underway in the Supreme Court on Tuesday afternoon after Mr Kennedy entered a not-guilty plea to the charge.

In her opening address, prosecutor Catherine Parkes told the jury Ms Emerson had started a new job as a bookkeeper at a business in Morwell and moved into a house at Sydney St in 2011.

She was taking medication for her epilepsy and had long-term issues with alcohol and cannabis use, Ms Parkes said.

Ms Parkes said Ms Emerson was in an on/off relationship with Mr Flegg, who also abused drugs and alcohol, since 1994 and lived around the corner from her.

Supreme Court judge Justice Jane Dixon is presiding over the trial of Scott Kennedy who is charged with the murder of Morwell woman Narelle Emerson.

She had been drinking heavily and smoking cannabis while Mr Flegg worked on a trailer at her house on the afternoon of October 17, 2019.

A teenage girl who knew Ms Emerson went to the latter’s house that afternoon, accompanied by the accused Mr Kennedy, Ms Parkes said.

The girl left early that evening and Ms Emerson, Mr Flegg and Mr Kennedy had dinner together and watched TV.

After Mr Flegg left after dinner following an argument with Ms Emerson, she continued drinking vodka and watched TV with Mr Kennedy before going to bed around 9.30pm.

Ms Parkes said between 2.30am and 3.30am, neighbours heard arguing, banging and crashing coming from Ms Emerson’s house.

A neighbour saw a male silhouette out the front of the house.

When Mr Flegg returned the next morning, Ms Parkes said he thought Ms Emerson had been robbed as there were a lot of items on the floor in the hallway and into her bedroom.

Mr Kennedy had left the house by the time Mr Flegg returned.

He saw Ms Emerson in bed and heard her snoring but didn’t go in. Instead, Ms Parkes said he made a cuppa and watched TV before going outside to paint a trailer while checking on her several times.

It wasn’t until two hours later, Ms Parkes told the court, that Mr Flegg went into her bedroom, pulled back the doona cover and saw injuries to her head and blood on the doona.

Paramedics discovered she was unconscious but breathing spontaneously and had multiple bruises on her body, a bleeding laceration at the back of her head and severe swelling to her neck and face.

She was wearing a top that appeared to be ripped down the front and a large quantity of orange and white capsules were found on the bed.

Mr Flegg died of cancer in 2020 but his 000 call and conversation with police will be played in court.

Defence lawyer Glen Casement told the jury that Mr Flegg, who Ms Emerson was in an on/off relationship with and discovered her in bed with injuries, was responsible for her death.

Mr Casement said instead of checking on Ms Emerson when he returned to her house on October 18, 2019, Mr Flegg instead made a cuppa and watched TV.

He said Mr Flegg told the emergency services that Ms Emerson had been in the state he found her in for more than two hours before help was called.

Mr Kennedy, his lawyer said, was a homeless man with a dog who has maintained his innocence from the start.

Ms Emerson was flown to The Alfred hospital where she died on November 7, 2019.

The first prosecution witness will take the stand on Wednesday afternoon.