Connor Morris and Millie Elder-Holmes. Photo / Supplied via Facebook
Connor Morris and Millie Elder-Holmes. Photo / Supplied via Facebook
The jury sitting in the Connor Morris murder has this morning viewed two hours of footage of the accused being interviewed by police.
The interview was filmed a year ago today at the Henderson police station between detectives and Michael Thrift Murray.
The 34-year-old has denied a charge of murder, but defence lawyer Marie Dyhrberg said in her opening address on Monday that it was not disputed that her client hit Mr Morris and caused his death.
She said he hit Mr Morris in a bid to defend his younger brother, who was being assaulted.
Mr Morris was killed during a street fight between two unrelated groups on Don Buck Rd last August.
Connor Morris and Millie Elder-Holmes. Photo / Supplied via Facebook
Today, on the fifth day of the trial, the jury was played a video interview between police and the accused, filmed on August 7 last year.
Murray claims he was asleep in bed during the street fight outside his address in which Mr Morris died.
Detective Simon Woodhams led the interview and told the court before the footage was screened today that Murray was "polite and cooperative" at the time.
"I emphasised it was his chance to give his account of what happened during the incident," Mr Woodhams said.
In the video interview police asked Murray to run through what he did on Saturday August 2.
He said he went to Rainbow's End with his partner and kids. They left at about 5pm and headed home, stopping at McDonalds to pick up dinner.
They went to a sleepout at 401 Don Buck Rd, where Murray lived part time. He stayed there when he had his kids visiting, and lived at his partner's home the rest of the time.
He told police that as he arrived home his brother Stan Murray and his flatmate Zane Williams called out to him to ask how his day had been.
He spoke with them briefly but did not see or speak to anyone else at the house - or anyone from the 21st party that was going on down the driveway at number 403c.
He said his family ate dinner in the sleepout, played a video game and then he went to sleep at about 8pm. He was "drained" after a long day at the amusement park.
He was woken by smashing glass just after midnight, he claimed.
"I peered out the window and saw a car getting smashed," he said.
"(My partner) had gone out there and said someone said to her 'everyone in this house is going to die'."
"She said someone was dead up there... she was a little bit flustered when she's come running back to the room.
"She's told me it's Head Hunters," he told police.
He barricaded himself and his family in the sleepout and said his partner called 111.
Police came and spoke with them later and then they were picked up by Murray's uncle and left the area.
Murray told police he had not used his phone that night, and that he had not used it since the Friday.
After hearing Murray's version of events police revealed that a number of people had given statements about seeing him outside just before the street fight.
Their statements all matched, and conflicted with his version of events.
Crucially, he was trying desperately to contact someone, calling and texting them and pocket-dialling his own voicemail service at the "key time" - when Mr Morris was killed.
Murray told police the witnesses were "lying" and he did not know who made the calls on his phone.
He then asked to speak to his lawyer and named Marie Dhyrberg.
"These people are lying, I never went out and did anything. I was with my kids," he said. The trial continues.
