Eppalock: Kerry Frank dies in court defending son Jarrod Frank

The mother of a Eppalock man previously accused of murder has died in court while defending her son as he cried ‘mum, mum, can you hear?’

Eppalock man Jarrod Frank, 43, pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary with an offensive weapon, common law assault and attempted theft. Picture: Facebook

The mother of an Eppalock man previously accused of murder has died after she collapsed while defending her son in the witness stand.

Kerry Frank, 67, was testifying for her son, Jarrod Frank, who appeared in Melbourne County Court on Tuesday to plead guilty to aggravated burglary and assault in January 2020.

The 43-year-old Eppalock man watched as his mother described his good character before she collapsed and later died on Tuesday afternoon.

Ms Frank had described the close relationship her son had with his sister and “adoring” nieces and nephews before telling the court she felt sick and collapsed.

Members of the courtroom yelled “code black” and called for help and Frank was heard crying: “Mum, mum, can you hear?”.

Jarrod Frank was found not guilty for the murder of Scott Bury. Picture: Ian Currie

A Victoria Police spokeswoman said the 67-year-old died at the court’s Williams St address on Tuesday afternoon.

The cause of her death is still unknown but is not being treated as suspicious.

The court earlier heard, the 43-year-old was living in a bungalow on his mother’s property when he tried to rob Adam White at knifepoint in January 2020, while on bail for a fatal stabbing in 2018.

Frank was accused of the murder of Scott Bury, 49, after he was stabbed in a fight following an argument about Nazi guns on King Street, Bendigo in January 2018.

Frank was found not guilty in January 2021, as he had acted in self defence after Bury attacked him in the street with two knives and a metal bar.

His lawyer said it was under this cloud of insecurity of his murder trial that Frank started showing “bizarre and irrational behaviour”.

He said Frank had relapsed into drugs and suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder from the 2018 stabbing.

His lawyer said Frank was using drugs around the time of the burglary and assault on Thursday January 30 2020.

The court heard Frank and his victim, Mr White, had known each other since childhood.

Frank was seen by witnesses kicking down the door of Mr White’s home.

Mr White was asleep at the time, but woke to the commotion.

When he approached his childhood friend Frank punched Mr White to the right side of his face.

The two men fell to the floor in a scuffle, until Frank pulled out a kitchen knife and demanded money from Mr White.

When police arrived at 10.20am they found the two men staring each other down while seated at opposite ends of the kitchen table.

A search warrant of Ms Frank’s property found similar kitchen knives used by her son in the burglary.

Judge Felicity Hampel said it was astounding the 43-year-old chose to use a knife, given the fatal stabbing charges.

“He was on bail charged with a stabbing murder … and then here he is armed with a knife,” Ms Hampel said.

“Human behaviour is very strange.”

Frank’s matter was adjourned with a date still to be fixed.