Homemade sex toys, filthy stains, underwear found at Reservoir home

Homemade sex toys, filthy stains and a knee-high pile of mouldy undies were found in the Reservoir bedroom of an alleged stalker and underwear thief.

Joshua Murrell, 32, has faced court over a long-running series of alleged thefts from backyard clotheslines.

Police searching a Reservoir man’s bedroom in relation to a long-running series of alleged thefts from backyard clotheslines allegedly uncovered homemade dildos, semen stains, and a sex doll dressed in stolen women’s activewear.

The vile details of what Darebin CIU officers allegedly uncovered in the Hickford St home shared by Joshua Murrell, 34, and his disabled father were laid bare in a bail application hearing at Melbourne Magistrates Court on Tuesday, after Joshua was arrested on 10 charges relating to stalking, theft, trespass and weapons offences occurring between June 2021 and June 2022 in the Cheddar Rd area, north of Broadway.

The court heard thousands of allegedly stolen women’s clothing items including bras, underpants, gym tights, handbags, shoes, and a personalised weightlifting leotard were piled “knee-high” covering the floor of Murrell’s bedroom and hanging from his bedhead as police started their search on July 6.

By the time they’d finished, they’d collected 5000 items – some of them damp and mouldy, others soiled and semen-stained, others with pegs still attached from when they were allegedly snatched.

An imitation handgun, homemade dildos and other sex toys and a homemade sex doll were also allegedly found in the room.

Photos later recovered from Murrell’s mobile phone showed the unemployed daily marijuana smoker and estranged father of one brandishing the fake gun, wearing women’s clothing and makeup, and engaging in sex acts with the toys and doll.

Murrell told police the gun was a “toy” and the sex doll was “just a bit of fun to cuddle”.

The court heard on one occasion, Murrell attempted to force entry to a woman’s laundry after an earlier theft prompted her to switch to hanging up her wet clothes inside rather than out.

On other occasions, CCTV cameras caught Murrell in the act, and items he dropped as he fled were able to be analysed for DNA.

The court heard Murrell was not home at the time of the search and did not respond to calls from his father, who requires care for an acquired brain injury, to return home.

Murrell returned home five days later, on July 11, carrying freshly stolen clothing items in his backpack and having slept on the street to avoid police.

“He went out of his way to avoid apprehension, and even after he was notified police were looking for him, he couldn’t help himself,” the prosecutor said.

Darebin CIU Senior Constable Amanda Wright said the alleged female victims were “terrified” to return to their homes for fear Murrell would escalate his alleged offending.

“They believe he’s specifically targeting them, as he keeps coming back to the same addresses,” Constable Wright said.

“They don’t feel they can stay at their own homes overnight by themselves.”

Constable Wright said at least 10 further alleged victims had come forward since police appealed for information from the public, and she expected further charges would be served within the month.

Police opposed Murrell’s bail application arguing he represented an unacceptable risk to the community if released, specifically in relation to reoffending and interfering with witnesses.

“He’s got a serious issue with inappropriate sexual behaviour, and a complete disregard for authority,” the prosecutor said.

“He regularly reattends same addresses and stalks the same victims.

“There are no (bail) conditions that would make the victims feel safe in their own homes.”

With Murrell appearing via telephone from remand, Magistrate Tara Hartnett formally refused the bail application and advised Murrell’s lawyer to try applying again after having Murrell assessed by a psychologist specialising in the sorts of “issues” Murrell claimed to be dealing with.

Ms Hartnett described Murrell’s alleged crimes as “persistent serious offending occurring over a significant period” and said none of the evidence before her established that Murrell was not the risk police said he was.

The matter will return to Heidelberg Magistrates’ Court on July 28.