Major update on Sam Murphy’s alleged killer as he appears in court and unveils a dramatic change
The man accused of murdering Ballarat mother Samantha Murphy has appeared in court.
Patrick Orren Stephenson, 24, faced the Ballarat Magistrates Court via videolink on Thursday 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 disappeared without a trace on the morning of February 4 after leaving her home on Eureka Street in Ballarat East, Victoria.
Dressed in a chic RM Williams top, the alleged killer sported a long, woolly beard commonly sported by men of Islamic faith.
It was a major change in appearance for Stephenson, who appeared clean-shaven in court after his arrest five weeks after Ms Murphy was allegedly murdered.
While it remains unclear whether Stephenson converted to Islam behind bars, it is not unusual for vulnerable prisoners to make the change for security reasons.
Stephenson, an apprentice electrician, remains locked up in the Melbourne Assessment Prison awaiting trial for murder.
In November he pleaded not guilty to Ms Murphy’s murder and rushed the case to the Supreme Court of Victoria.
Patrick Orren Stephenson doesn’t look like that anymore
On Thursday he pleaded guilty to drink, drugs and reckless driving, for which he was convicted and fined $2,500.
The court heard Stephenson was found on the road in the early hours of October 1, 2023, having crashed his motorcycle following an AFL Grand Final party bender with friends.
The crash left Stephenson – the son of former AFL Richmond and Geelong AFL player Orren Stephenson – with serious injuries that kept him in hospital for the next two weeks.
Those injuries included a fractured vertebra, a lacerated spleen, broken pelvis and ribs and minor head trauma.
Police claim he went on to kill Ms Murphy just three months later, despite his injuries.
Stephenson’s lawyer Moya O’Brien told the court her client was still suffering from the injuries, which had led to him returning to hospital while behind bars.
The court heard Stephenson had lost control on a bend, causing him to go into a slide, leaving him crippled on the road.
Police who attended the crash claimed that Stephenson was so drunk that they could not make any sense of what he said.
On arrival at hospital, Stephenson was found to have a blood alcohol level of 0.148 – more than double the legal limit.
Samantha Murphy disappeared in February after going jogging
He was also found with traces of MDMA, commonly called ecstasy.
At the time, Stephenson had been serving a two-year good behavior bond for a previous driving offence.
Ms O’Brien told the court Stephenson retained the support of his parents and long-time girlfriend.
‘It is undoubtedly a serious accident involving a motorcycle. High blood alcohol levels and in wet conditions,” she said.
Ms O’Brien said Stephenson had little memory of the crash due to the injuries he suffered.
At the time, Stephenson was just months away from completing his internship.
“After the accident he was welcomed back into employment and at the time he was taken into custody he was back working as an electrician,” Ms O’Brien said.
Prosecutors agreed that Stephenson should be punished with a fine despite his offense while he was in good standing.
In handing down his sentence, magistrate Guillaume Bailin said he would have jailed Stephenson further had he not pleaded guilty to the crimes.
Samantha Murphy and husband Mick Murphy in happier times
Police finally recovered Samantha Murphy’s cell phone from a dam
“Maybe it’s just luck that no one else was hurt and you died,” he said.
Stephenson will stand trial in Ballarat for Ms Murphy’s death sometime next year.
A lengthy preliminary investigation is expected to take place during the first months of this year in the hope of resolving any issues before the main trial begins.
In November, Murphy’s husband Mick visited court for the first time to observe his wife’s alleged killer.
Sitting at the front of Ballarat Magistrates’ Court, Mr Murphy glared at the video screen in the court where Stephenson appeared.
As the case progresses in court, police appear to be no closer to finding Ms Murphy’s body.
Police are remaining tight-lipped about the progress of the investigation, only advising that the search for Ms Murphy’s body continues.
Large search parties have repeatedly entered the wilderness around Ballarat throughout the year without success.
Stephenson is accused of murdering Ms Murphy while she was jogging on Sunday.