Doctor compelled to give evidence in Ricardo Barbaro murder case
Tragic mum Ellie Price was allegedly killed by her boyfriend, Ricardo Barbaro, in her South Melbourne home. A court has heard a doctor’s appointment in the days before her death could hold the key to the case. Find out why.
Police & Courts
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A doctor’s appointment in the days before a Melbourne mother was allegedly killed by her boyfriend could hold the key to the case.
Police allege Ricardo Barbaro, 33, murdered Ellie Price, a 26-year-old beauty diploma student, at her South Melbourne home between April 29 and May 4.
As the accused killer’s case returned to Melbourne Magistrates Court on Tuesday, it emerged homicide detectives had zeroed in on a medical appointment at Sydenham Medical Centre on April 28 as part of their investigations.
Prosecutor Jonathan McCarthy successfully applied to the court to summons Dr Reda Makarious for compulsory examination over the consultation.
Details of who he treated on that day were not aired in court.
There was no suggestion Dr Makarious has done anything wrong.
He is expected to be asked to give a first-hand account on his personal observations of the patient and any concerns they may have raised during the consultation.
The court heard the GP had only seen the patient for that single appointment.
Mr McCarthy said medical records had already been obtained following a search warrant.
But the prosecution wanted to question the medical practitioner about those records and “in essence the consultation”, he said.
Doctors are often called to give evidence in court where a magistrate can force them to provide details that would often be in breach of patient confidentiality.
Any information the doctor provides could help homicide detectives in further preparing their case against Mr Barbaro.
A 1.5-hour special hearing for examination of the doctor was set for October 15.
Mr Barbaro, 33, has been in custody since he was arrested in New South Wales on May 14 and extradited to Victoria to face the murder charge.
His arrest came after police launched a nationwide public appeal to find him after Ms Price’s body was discovered in her apartment on May 4.
Her concerned mother, Tracey Gangell, had called police from her Tasmanian home to do a welfare check on her daughter after she was unable to reach her.
Ms Gangell earlier told the Herald Sun how her daughter had been the victim of domestic violence and been to hospital and GP visits in the months before her death.
Ms Price is survived by her four-year-old son, Mostafa, who lives with Ms Gangell.
Mr Barbaro was excused from attending Tuesday’s virtual hearing but will return to court on October 21 — six days after the doctor’s compulsory examination — to see how the case is progressing.
Magistrate Susan Wakeling urged the parties to consider before the next hearing whether they wish to fast-track the case to the Supreme Court, a new practice introduced to reduce court delays due to the coronavirus.
The court heard Mr Barbaro needed more time to consider his case as he was having difficulty accessing a copy of the police brief of evidence while in prison.
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