The man accused of murdering Ballarat mum Samantha Murphy has appeared in court.
Patrick Orren Stephenson, 24, fronted Ballarat Magistrates Court on Thursday via videolink where he pleaded guilty to a series of driving offences.
But it was his appearance that stunned those following the tragic case of Ms Murphy, who vanished without a trace on the morning of February 4 after leaving her home on Eureka Street in Ballarat East, Victoria.
Dressed in a fancy R.M Williams top, the alleged killer sported a long, wooly beard worn commonly by men of Islamic faith.
It was a major change of appearance for Stephenson, who had appeared in court cleanly shaven after his arrest five weeks after Ms Murphy was allegedly murdered.
While it remains unclear if Stephenson has converted to Islam while behind bars, it is not unusual for vulnerable prisoners to make the change for safety reasons.
Stephenson, an apprentice electrician, remains caged within the Melbourne Assessment Prison while awaiting trial on the murder charge.
In November, he pleaded not guilty to Ms Murphy’s murder, fast tracking the matter to the Supreme Court of Victoria.
Patrick Orren Stephenson doesn’t look like this anymore
On Thursday he pleaded guilty to drink, drug and careless driving, for which he was convicted and fined $2500.
The court heard Stephenson was found laying on the road in the early hours of October 1, 2023 after crashing his motorbike following an AFL Grand Final party bender with mates.
The crash left Stephenson – the son of former AFL Richmond and Geelong AFL player Orren Stephenson – with serious injuries that left him in hospital for the next two weeks.
Those injuries included a fractured vertebra, lacerated spleen, broken pelvis and ribs and minor head trauma.
Police allege he would go onto murder Ms Murphy just three months later despite his injuries.
Stephenson’s lawyer Moya O’Brien told the court her client still suffered from those injuries, which had seen him return to hospital while behind bars.
The court heard Stephenson had lost control on a bend, forcing him into a slide that left him crippled on the road.
Police who attended the crash claimed Stephenson was so drunk they could not make any sense of what he was saying.
On arrival at hospital Stephenson was found to have a blood alcohol reading of at 0.148 – more than double the legal limit.
Samantha Murphy vanished in February after going out for a jog
He was also found with traces of MDMA – commonly referred to as ecstasy.
Stephenson had been serving a two-year good behaviour bond at the time for a previous driving offence.
Ms O’Brien told the court Stephenson retained the support of his parents and long-time girlfriend.
‘It’s undoubtedly a serious accident involving a motorcycle. A high reading blood alcohol content and in the wet conditions,’ she said.
Ms O’Brien said Stephenson had little memory of the crash due to the injuries he sustained in it.
At the time, Stephenson had been just months away from completing his apprenticeship.
‘Following the accident he was welcomed back to his employment and at the time of his remand into custody he was working back as an electrician,’ Ms O’Brien said.
Prosecutors had agreed Stephenson ought be penalised with a fine despite his offending while on a good behavior bond.
In handing down his sentence, Magistrate Guillaume Bailin said he would have further jailed Stephenson had he not pleaded guilty to the crimes.
Samantha Murphy and husband Mick Murphy in happier times
Police pulled Samantha Murphy’s mobile phone from a dam last
‘It’s perhaps luck alone that no-one else was injured or you were killed,’ he said.
Stephenson is set to go on trial in Ballarat sometime over the next year over the death of Ms Murphy.
A lengthy pre-trial is expected to take place throughout the opening months of this year in the hope of ironing out any potential issues before the main trial begins.
In November, Ms Murphy’s husband Mick attended court to observe his wife’s alleged killer for the first time.
Seated at the front of Ballarat Magistrates’ Court, Mr Murphy glared at the video screen in court where Stephenson appeared.
As the matter progresses through court, police appear no closer to finding Ms Murphy’s body.
Police remain tight-lipped over how the investigation is progressing, advising only that the search for Ms Murphy’s body continued.
Large search crews have repeatedly ventured into the wilderness around Ballarat throughout the year without any success.
Stephenson is accused of murdering Ms Murphy while she was out on a Sunday jog.
