Killer’s eyes ‘went black’ before driving knife into grandmother
A killer developed a fixation on a grandmother before stabbing her with a hunting knife as she tried to leave a party in central Victoria. A witness told of how the killer’s eyes “went black” before he drove the knife into her heart.
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A killer’s eyes “went black” after he drove a hunting knife into the heart of a grandmother as she tried to leave a party, a jury has heard.
Ben Wardlaw, 40, is on trial over the murder of Karen Ashcroft at a Maryborough home in regional Victoria in May last year.
The Supreme Court in Ballarat heard Mr Wardlaw is not contesting he killed the 52-year-old but his state of mind is in question.
He had never met or spoken with Ms Ashcroft, but became fixated on her on the night, before lunging at her with the knife when she walked to the front door to go home about 3.40am on May 14.
Asked why he did it by another partygoer who struggled with him to grab the orange hunting knife, Mr Wardlaw said: “I had to.”
Kerrin McCallum, who rented the Alma St unit, told the jury she saw Mr Wardlaw “strike” his victim.
“I seen him have the knife. It was really quick,” Ms McCallum said.
“When he striked her, I didn’t know he’d stabbed her. There was no blood. She was walking around then she dropped to the floor.”
Asked how she would describe Mr Wardlaw at this time, she said: “His eyes went black.”
Mr Wardlaw, who was a friend of Ms McCallum’s boyfriend Alex Bustard, had been staying with Ms McCallum and Mr Bustard for a few weeks as “he had nowhere else to go”.
Ms McCallum said his behaviour had deteriorated and he had been “wigging out” since he was “cut off” from his methadone, explaining how his prescription had expired two weeks earlier on April 30.
“He was saying there were drones outside and people staring at him and weird cars pulling up out the front when there was nothing there,” Ms McCallum said.
Crown prosecutor Diana Piekusis, in opening the trial, told the jury Mr Wardlaw stabbed his victim “consciously and deliberately”.
“Without any warning, she is stabbed to the chest. The knife went through her heart and she died at the scene,” Ms Piekusis said.
“All she was trying to do is leave.”
Ms Ashcroft was “quite a small woman”, Ms Piekusis said, standing at just 150cm and weighing 42kg.
“Karen Ashcroft fell to the floor. She said ‘I’ve been stabbed’ and gasped for air,” Ms Piekusis said.
Defence lawyer Malcolm Thomas said it is the jury’s responsibility to determine if Mr Wardlaw is guilty of murder or the lesser charge of manslaughter.
“There’s no doubt Mr Wardlaw is responsible for the death of Ms Ashcroft,” he said.
But he said his state of mind at the time was in question and that the prosecution must prove beyond reasonable doubt that he intended to kill or cause serious injury.
Murder has a maximum penalty of life in jail, while manslaughter carries 20 years.
The trial, before Justice John Champion, continues.