Hinrichsen, Skinner and Thrupp: ‘Justice’ for grandfather, wife and boyfriend found guilty of his murder

A grandfather has been remembered as ‘easy going’ and ‘good natured’ after his wife and her boyfriend were found guilty of his murder.

The trio accused of killing a South Australian grandfather, so his wife could be with someone else, has been found responsible for his death.

Tanya Hinrichsen, 43, Gavin Scott Skinner, 46, and Robert John Thrupp, 47, were each charged with the murder of Steven Hinrichsen after his body was found at his Nathan Court home in Morphett Vale just after 9am on December 15, 2018.

The trio previously pleaded not guilty to the grandfather’s murder.

On Wednesday, however, a verdict was handed down finding Ms Hinrichsen and Mr Skinner both guilty of murder.

The jury found Mr Thrupp not guilty of the harsher charge but guilty to manslaughter.

Steven Hinrichsen’s sister, Sandra McIntyre, told reporters outside of court the two and a half years since her brother’s death had been difficult for herself and her family.

She said she was “doing a lot of praying” to cope.

“I’m really happy with the results. There’s justice for my brother,” Ms McIntyre said.

“He was a very easy, laid back sort of person. Very good natured and he loved kids.”

Ms McIntyre said she didn’t know Ms Hinrichsen very well, having “only met her about three times”.

“She would have said half a dozen words to me.”

Morphett Vale murder victim Steven Hinrichsen has been remembered as a ‘good natured’ person who loved kids. Picture Facebook

During their Adelaide Supreme Court trial opening, the 14-person jury heard the 63-year-old victim – who required a wheelchair and walking frame after recovering from surgery – was stabbed to death by a person or people who did not force entry into the home.

Mr Hinrichsen was left with a smashed photograph of himself on top of his bleeding, mangled body.

Opening the trial last month, Prosecutor Carmen Matteo said the gesture showed the killing was “angry and personal”.

She alleged Ms Hinrichsen and Mr Skinner were lovers who “wanted and planned” the murder of Ms Hinrichsen’s husband, who “was an inconvenience” for their relationship and that there were “overwhelming” possible reasons why they wanted him dead instead of Ms Hinrichsen divorcing him.

The lawyer also alleged Mr Skinner and his friend Mr Thrupp both violently killed Mr Hinrichsen in his home, and Ms Hinrichsen was involved in the plan.

Tanya Hinrichsen was accused in court of killing her husband because he was an ‘inconvenience’ to her relationship with Mr Skinner. Picture: Facebook

Her husband Steven Hinrichsen was stabbed to death and found with a smashed photograph of himself on top of his bleeding, mangled body, the court heard. Picture Facebook

But, Grant Algie QC, for Ms Hinrichsen, denied the possibility his client was a party to any plan to have her husband killed and said numerous witnesses saw his client asleep on the couch at the time of her husband’s death.

The court previously heard text messages from 2018 between the woman and her boyfriend, where the prosecution alleged Ms Hinrichsen knew how to exploit Mr Skinner’s anger towards her husband and told him Mr Hinrichsen “really needs to go”.

However, Mr Algie said his client used a “subtle process of acquiescence or agreement” as a method of talking him down in the text message exchanges.

Robert John Thrupp’s lawyer said there was no physical or forensic evidence that connected the man to the murder scene. Picture: Facebook

Chris Weir, for Mr Thrupp, said his client was not a party to the “love triangle”, which he said was the reason for the murder, and argued just because Mr Thrupp was a friend and lived with Mr Skinner did not make his client a murderer.

“The main body of evidence (against Ms Hinrichsen and Mr Skinner) is not relevant to my client and you may just think about how Mr Thrupp was really involved in that love triangle,” he said.

“Or was it really about Mr Skinner simply blowing off steam, wanting to talk about it, wanting to express his anger, his hostility and his hatred towards Mr Hinrichsen in the presence of my client?

“It doesn't mean that Mr Thrupp, in hearing that, is a part of (the murder).”

According to the Crown case, Mr Hinrichsen was killed when two males – alleged to be Mr Skinner and Mr Thrupp – went back to the victim’s home in the early hours of December 15 after the victim was assaulted the day prior.

However, Mr Weir said there was a “possibility” Mr Hinrichsen had sustained potentially fatal injuries during a first attack the night before his body was discovered, when the three accused and a fourth person – whose identity remains suppressed – attended the Nathan Court home so Ms Hinrichsen could collect some clothing and sleep at Mr Skinner’s house.

The lawyer argued it was possible Mr Skinner and Ms Hinrichsen killed the victim during a period of time while his client was outside having a cigarette with the fourth person.

Mr Weir said there was no physical or forensic evidence that connected Mr Thrupp to the murder scene, unlike Mr Skinner and Ms Hinrichsen.

Gavin Scott Skinner is among a gang accused of murdering Steven Hinrichsen in his Morphett Vale home on December 15, 2018. Picture: Nine News

William Boucaut QC, for Mr Skinner, argued it would have been an “extreme step” for his client to kill Mr Hinrichsen when numerous people, including the police, were aware he had assaulted the victim twice in the month leading up to his death.

“That just doesn’t make any sense at all,” he told the court.

Mr Boucaut also argued crime scene evidence indicated there could have been two separate attacks on the victim, and that Ms Hinrichsen could have killed her husband.

The trio is due to reappear next month to start sentencing proceedings.