Accused Samantha Murphy killer Patrick Stephenson charged with driving offences

The man accused of murdering Ballarat mum Samantha Murphy has been hit with a string of new charges over an alleged drug and alcohol-fuelled Grand Final bender.

An accused murderer has been slapped with fresh charges due to allegedly crashing his vehicle after a drug and alcohol fuelled Grand Final bender last year.

Patrick Stephenson, the son of ex-Geelong and Richmond footballer Orren Stephenson, has been charged with one count of murder of Samantha Murphy.

She was allegedly killed while jogging in Ballarat.

It has not been revealed how police believe he murdered her.

But the Herald Sun can now reveal he is facing new charges of drink driving, drug driving and careless driving.

Patrick Orren Stephenson, 22, has been charged with murder over the disappearance of Ballarat mum Samantha Murphy.

Mr Stephenson was allegedly on a motorbike when he slammed into a tree. No other vehicle was involved.

Highway Patrol police officers attended the smash where he failed an alcohol breath test. He was then taken to Ballarat police station where he failed a drug test.

A former friend of Mr Stephenson said the crash happened after an AFL Grand Final celebration that started around lunchtime and went long into the night.

Police confirmed the crash happened on October 1.

Samantha Murphy vanished from her Eureka St home. Picture: Mark Stewart

Ms Murphy was last seen setting out for her morning run on February 4.

Mr Stephenson has not had the chance to answer these latest charges and the Herald Sun is not suggesting any wrongdoing, only that charges have been laid.

It was previously claimed that Mr Stephenson was on a “massive bender” the night before Samantha Murphy was killed.

Associates said he was at a party where cocaine was consumed before attending The Deck bar in Ballarat, which is open until 3am.

A video, featuring Mr Stephenson, which appears to show lines of a white substance racked up on a mobile phone was also posted on social media platform Snapchat.

One line of inquiry police are pursuing is whether Ms Murphy, a mother of three, was struck by a car after leaving her Eureka St home at 7am.

Police have only said she died as the result of a “deliberate” act.

Despite extensive searches, her body has never been found and Chief Commissioner Shane Patton said Mr Stephenson has refused to help investigators.

It is understood detectives had been surveilling Mr Stephenson for up to two weeks before his arrest on March 6.

Homicide Squad detectives have seized his car and it is understood forensic testing of the vehicle would be crucial to the case against him.

It is also being probed if his car was thoroughly washed inside and out in the days after Ms Murphy disappeared.

Prosecutors asked for an extended period of time – 20 weeks – to put together all the evidence in the case.

Mr Stephenson will return to court for a committal mention on August 8.