Ricardo Barbaro’s lawyer says Ellie Price could have been murdered by someone else

Lawyers for Ricardo Barbaro have raised the possibility someone else could have killed young mum Ellie Price, suggesting she was still alive when Mr Barbaro left her South Melbourne home the day she was killed.

Ricardo Barbaro is accused of murdering his girlfriend, Ellie Price.

Accused killer Ricardo Barbaro suggests his girlfriend was alive when he left her apartment as his lawyer is set to question those close to her to find out who else could have had a motive to stab her in the back, a court has heard.

Mr Barbaro, 33, has been charged with murdering young mum Ellie Price, a 26-year-old beauty diploma student, at her South Melbourne home in the early hours of April 29.

Her body was not found until May 4, with an autopsy report finding she had suffered multiple stab wounds to her back and neck.

Mr Barbaro’s case returned to Melbourne Magistrates Court on Wednesday where it was revealed CCTV captured him leaving Ms Price’s apartment about 4.30am on April 29.

But his lawyer Mark Gumbleton suggested there could be an alternative offender, and questioned Ms Price’s character.

Mr Gumbleton said there was evidence Ms Price had threatened a 57-year-old accountant friend that she would go to the police to say he raped her if he didn’t give her $25,000.

Referring to earlier statements Ms Price made to police about domestic violence by Mr Barbaro, he said: “The truth might be very far from that allegation.”

“This is a woman who had mental health issues, abused illicit substances, was a loner, and was also erratic in her behaviour,” Mr Gumbleton said.

He said it was open, on the evidence, that when Mr Barbaro left the property, Ms Price was alive.

“So the issue is whether or not Mr Barbaro is the person who murdered Ms Price?” magistrate Marita Altman asked.

Mr Gumbleton replied: “Yes … I put that as the central issue.”

He said the time between when police allege Ms Price was murdered to when her body was found was “a significant period of time where it is not clear if she was still alive”.

Mr Gumbleton, successfully argued he should be allowed to cross-examine Ms Price’s mother, Tracey Gangell, and sister, Danielle Price, on their contact with her, and anything she told them about her relationship with Mr Barbaro at a committal hearing to be held next year.

He said he would also question them on if they believed anyone else might be responsible for her death, and whether there was any sign of life in that intervening period.

He also wanted to probe them about “the sort of work the deceased was engaged in”, and “what she was getting up to” in Melbourne while her family looked after her young son in Tasmania.

The court heard Mr Barbaro’s father. Giuseppe “Joe” Barbaro will also be called to give evidence about his observations of his son, specifically his behaviour and any injuries seen on him, in the days after the alleged killing.

The accountant who claimed the extortion attempt by Ms Price, as well as a toxicologist who can talk around any substances found in her body and timing of ingestion to see if any proof of life after April 29, would also be questioned by Mr Gumbleton.

Mr Gumbleton will also question Mr Barbaro’s GP, Dr Reda Makarious, who is suspected of being the last to see Ms Price alive, as she had attended the waiting room at his Sydenham Medical Centre with her boyfriend, who had an appointment at 7.30pm on April 28.

The court heard defence counsel were still waiting on the DNA and other forensic evidence from items found at the scene, in particular a knife located near Ms Price’s body, and three broken-off fake fingernails.

The committal hearing, which will determine if there is sufficient evidence to commit Mr Barbaro to stand trial, will run for three days from May 10.

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