Eurydice’s killer stalked her for an hour before rape, strangulation
A COURT has heard of the horrifying final moments before Eurydice Dixon was raped and strangled to death in Melbourne.
ASPIRING young Melbourne comedian Eurydice Dixon was stalked for around an hour before being raped and murdered in a park.
Jaymes Todd followed Ms Dixon from Flinders Street Station, for some 5km across the city, until he unleashed his violent attack at Carlton North’s Princes Park. Ms Dixon was completely unaware she was being followed, as Todd concealed himself and kept a distance, until he set upon her, raping and strangling the 22-year-old.
Todd, 19, a former hospitality student from Broadmeadows, yesterday pleaded guilty to murder, rape, attempted rape and sexual assault in Melbourne Magistrates Court.
A summary of events stated Todd first spotted Ms Dixon at the intersection of Flinders St and Swanston St, central Melbourne, at 11.08pm on June 12.
He proceeded to follow her through the Melbourne streets in the cover of darkness, maintaining enough of a distance so that Ms Dixon would not be aware she was being followed.
“Whenever the deceased slowed down or stopped, the accused made a similar speed reduction,” the documents from prosecutors read.
She traversed through a shopping centre which Todd followed her through. Police have said she was entirely unaware that she was being stalked.
Todd tracked Ms Dixon as she walked from the CBD towards her home for roughly an hour.
As Ms Dixon neared her home, she messaged her partner of four months on Facebook: “I’m almost home safe, HBU (how ’bout you).” The message was sent just after midnight.
Todd had spent the previous day and night drinking with a friend. The court heard he drank a bottle of vodka among other things.
Ms Dixon safely traversed two soccer pitches, but as she made her way onto the third, in Carlton North Park, Todd attacked her. She was only 900m from her home.
Todd raped and strangled the young woman. The court documents do not make clear the exact time of the attack.
Her body was found at 2.50am on June 13 by a passer-by walking home from work.
Todd was arrested later that day after handing himself in to police, though he initially denied any involvement in Ms Dixon’s death.
The killing sparked a national outpouring of grief with a subsequent vigil at the park attracting more than 5000 people.
Then prime minister Malcolm Turnbull and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten stood shoulder to shoulder surrounded by colleagues at a vigil held at Canberra’s Parliament House.
Federal Labor deputy leader Tanya Plibersek choked back tears as she noted the “shocking” and “terrible” death of Ms Dixon, which shone a light on violence against women.
Ms Dixon had been walking home from performing at a comedy gig at Melbourne’s Highlander Club when attacked.
Todd is expected to face the Victorian Supreme Court on Tuesday, where he will later be sentenced.