Bobby Medcraft trial: Week 1 recap, sword’s manufacturer IDed

The trial of five Tasmanians alleged to have murdered a young Burnie dad will pause for two days. See the key moments from week one, including the brand of sword used in the fight.

Alleged Burnie murder victim Bobby William Medcraft, 23. Picture: Facebook

The trial of five Tasmanians charged with the murder of young Burnie dad Bobby William Medcraft, 23, by participating in a bashing where his leg was hacked with a sword, will pause for two days.

The court was told Mr Medcraft died of blood loss in North West Regional Hospital on March 29, 2020, after sustaining the blow to the back of his right leg about 3.50am outside a Ritchie Ave, Downlands address.

Geoffrey James Deverell, 37, Kelsey Maree Ford, 24, her brother Lucas Shane Ford, 31, Michael William Hanlon, 54, and Cody Christopher Shane Sheehan, 33, have all pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The trial commenced in Launceston Supreme Court on Monday.

It will not sit Thursday due to the northeast Tasmanian show day public holiday.

Friday will see the jury bussed out for a site tour of the relevant North West Coast locations in the trial.

Here are some of the key moments from the first three days of the trial.

The Ritchie Ave, Downlands house outside which South Burnie man Bobby William Medcraft, 23, was allegedly murdered. Picture: Google Street View

DETAILS FROM DAYS 1–3

The sword used: The jury was told on Wednesday the sword used to kill Mr Medcraft was from a brand called ‘Fantasy Maker’. It was described as being red, adorned with skulls, and bound with a red cord on its handle. When police arrived at the scene, the sword, placed in a black sheath, was discovered in the front seat of the vehicle the defendants used to travel to Ritchie Ave, the court heard.

The dispute which started it all: In his opening address on Tuesday, Crown prosecutor Jack Shapiro told the jury a friend of Mr Medcraft’s “mistakenly” sent a Snapchat to Mr Ford (who he didn’t know), which said something like, “What’s up, c---”. The messages soon turned ugly and grew into threatening phone calls. Mr Medcraft and his friends Kayden Morrisson and Jake MacDonald, who were at Mr Medcraft’s Cunningham Rd, South Burnie house when the dispute started, became aware of the spiralling incident and involved themselves.

Alleged Burnie murder victim Bobby William Medcraft, 23, pictured with his young son. Picture: Facebook

How the first melee was avoided: The two groups of people – Mr Medcraft, partner Kalinda Morrisson, her brother Kayden, Mr MacDonald and a fifth person, and the five defendants – nearly came to blows earlier in the night outside 48 Thorne St, Acton, the home of Ms Ford. An ugly scene was about to kick off, but a passing police unit happened to see trouble brewing and broke it up. “The confrontation didn’t develop into an actual fight... the two groups were separated by police,” Mr Shapiro told the jury. But the night wasn’t over.

RECAP OF THE TRIAL SO FAR

Day 1: The jury, eight men and four women, are sworn in. The indictment alleges Mr Medcraft was killed by a cut to his leg with a sword.

Day 1 as it happened

Day 2, part 1: Crown prosecutor Jack Shapiro delivers his opening address. He says Mr Medcraft and his friends initially escalated the social media dispute, but after the Thorne St confrontation, he and his party went home to bed. He told the jury the five defendants then sought out Mr Medcraft for “revenge”. He said the Crown case is that the final Ritchie Ave melee was preceded by a wild “car chase” through the suburbs of Burnie. He said it was the Crown’s case that Mr Sheehan wielded the sword that killed Mr Medcraft.

Day 2 as it happened

Alleged Burnie murder victim Bobby Medcraft )centre), with his grandfather and mum Leeanne. Picture: Facebook

Day 2, part 2: All five defence counsel provided their rebuttals. Greg Richardson, representing Mr Sheehan, made a series of allegations about Mr Medcraft and his friends’ conduct. He told the jury Mr Medcraft and co burgled Mr Ford’s house earlier in the night, and also armed themselves with a “large knife” and two-foot “Nordic battle axe”. He said his client acted in self defence. Fran McCracken and Patrick O’Halloran, representing Ms Ford and Mr Deverell respectively, said neither of their client’s laid a finger on Mr Medcraft, a fact earlier admitted by the Crown.

Day 3: Senior Constable Caroline McGregor, formerly of the Western District forensic service, took the witness stand. She talked the jury through a bundle of hundreds of photos she took of the defendants in the hours after Mr Medcraft’s death. Mr Deverell, Mr Hanlon and Mr Ford were depicted with hand injuries. Paul Sullivan, representing Mr Hanlon, said one of the scrapes to Mr Hanlon’s hand was an older injury healing, which Snr Const McGregor agreed with. The court was told defendants bar Ms Ford had “red-brown staining” on at least some items of their clothing, with Mr Ford especially spattered.

Day 3 as it happened