Bobby Medcraft murder trial: Five defendants not guilty of murder
The mother of slain Burnie man Bobby Medcraft, who died after being chopped with a sword, says no-one will ever be able to take away the bond she shared with her son.
Tasmania
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The mother of slain Burnie man Bobby Medcraft, who died after being chopped with a sword on the morning of March 29, 2020, says no-one will ever be able to take away the bond she shared with her son.
Throughout the six-week trial, Leeanne Medcraft has been a constant presence. Some days she was supported by her niece, some her partner. Some days it was just her.
Each day, she would drive an approximately 300km round trip from Burnie – all up, she has driven approximately 9000km over the course of the trial.
But every kilometre was worth it for the grieving mum.
“Me and Bobby had a bond that no one will ever, ever take away from me,” she said. “Knowing his little five-year-old boy is going to not have his dad, that’s the worst part.”
Ms Medcraft said she remembers her son for his “character (and) laugh”.
“Every night, it didn’t matter where he was, he’d ring mum up and say, ‘I love you, mum’,” Ms Medcraft said.
“This was my only child, my miracle child, I couldn’t have kids and I had him.”
Ms Medcraft said the two-and-a-half years since Bobby’s death had been “hell”.
The defendants, Geoffrey James Deverell, 37, Kelsey Maree Ford, 24, her brother Lucas Shane Ford, 31, Michael William Hanlon, 54, and Cody Christopher Shane Sheehan, 33, were all found not guilty of murder.
All bar Mr Deverell were found guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter.
The four guilty defendants will return to court at 10am Wednesday for sentencing submissions.
Medcraft verdict: Not guilty of murder
The jury in the trial of five Tasmanians charged with murdering young Burnie dad Bobby William Medcraft, 23, has found all defendants not guilty of murder.
Geoffrey James Deverell, 37, Kelsey Maree Ford, 24, her brother Lucas Shane Ford, 31, Michael William Hanlon, 54, and Cody Christopher Shane Sheehan, 33, were all found not guilty of murder.
Hanlon, Sheehan, and Kelsey and Lucas Ford were found guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter.
Mr Deverell was found not guilty of either charge.
Hanlon and Kelsey Ford’s verdicts were by majority. Lucas Ford and Sheehan’s were unanimous.
Sentencing submissions for the four guilty defendants will commence 10am Wednesday in Launceston Supreme Court.
Mr Medcraft died on the morning of March 29, 2020, at North-West Regional Hospital. He died from blood loss caused by the sword strike, which severed his femoral artery.
The fatal blow was struck outside the 4 Ritchie Ave, Downlands residence of Mr Medcraft’s friend Kayden Morrisson.
Mr Medcraft, girlfriend Kalinda Morrisson and friend Jake MacDonald fled to Mr Morrisson’s pursued by a car containing the five defendants.
The defendants had driven to Mr Medcraft’s Upper Burnie residence in the early hours of the morning to continue a feud which was touched off the night prior by an errant social media message from Mr MacDonald’s friend, Luke Buckley, to Mr Ford.
After the messages turned toxic and threats were exchanged, Mr Medcraft and his three male friends travelled to Mr Ford’s Shorewell Park residence, which they burgled upon discovering the defendant wasn’t home.
They then travelled to Ms Ford’s house at Acton, seeking to fight her brother.
There, a confrontation between the two groups was averted by the fortuitous arrival of a patrolling police unit.
Over the course of the five-week trial, two vastly differing characterisations of the night were put to the jury.
The Crown submitted that, while Mr Medcraft and company behaved poorly in the lead-up to the final Ritchie Ave showdown, they had gone home after the fracas at Acton – “their night was over,” Crown prosecutor Jack Shapiro told the jury in his opening address.
It was the defendants who then armed themselves and sought out Mr Medcraft, he submitted.
The defence, meanwhile, told the jury that everything that happened was in self-defence. It was Mr Medcraft and company who initially armed themselves and travelled to both Ford houses, and burgled one of them to boot.
Regarding the final confrontation, Sheehan acted in self-defence as Mr Morrisson had armed himself with steak knives and the breaking of bottles could be heard, his defence counsel Greg Richardson argued.
If Sheehan was found to have acted in self-defence, then none of his four co-accused could be found guilty of murder either, Justice Pearce told the court on Tuesday.
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Originally published as Bobby Medcraft murder trial: Five defendants not guilty of murder
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