Jury to Deliberate on Homeless Man’s Role in Murder Case
Scott Kennedy, of no fixed address, faced charges for her murder but entered a plea of not guilty. The trial commenced in the Supreme Court on June 4.
A jury will determine whether a Victorian woman found at home with severe head injuries and neck fractures was killed by a man she had recently met or her partner of 25 years.
Narelle Emerson, a 45-year-old former bookkeeper, suffered these injuries on October 18, 2019, and passed away in the hospital 20 days later after being taken off life support.
Scott Kennedy, without a permanent address, was accused of her murder, but he denied the charges and stood trial in the Supreme Court on June 4.
The prosecutor, Catherine Parkes, informed the jury that Ms. Emerson and her partner of around 25 years, John Flegg, were present at her Morwell residence on October 17. That evening, the accused was invited over by Ms. Emerson’s 13-year-old friend.
Kennedy, who had not previously met Ms. Emerson or Mr. Flegg, joined them at the house. He observed that Ms. Emerson was intoxicated and using cannabis while Mr. Flegg was consuming beer.
After her friend and partner left following an argument with her, Ms. Emerson and Kennedy were the only ones remaining in her home at night.
In the early hours of October 18, a neighbor was disturbed by noises of arguing and crashing emanating from Ms. Emerson’s house and reported witnessing a male figure outside. This was reported by Ms. Parkes.
Mr. Flegg arrived at Ms. Emerson’s residence around 9 am and discovered items scattered from the hallway to her bedroom. Despite seeing her lying on the bed with covers, he did not immediately raise concern. He went about his activities before eventually finding her unresponsive.
Upon further investigation, traumatic upper body injuries were discovered, with blood evident on various surfaces in the room. Swabs taken from the house, as well as DNA analysis of the accused’s pants worn during his arrest, were in line with Ms. Emerson’s DNA.
The prosecution alleged that a left palm print found on a bloody cupboard matched the accused’s palm print, suggesting he was involved in the physical assault that led to her demise.
Defense counsel Glenn Casement questioned the credibility of Mr. Flegg’s account and suggested that responsibility for Ms. Emerson’s death lies with him, not Scott Kennedy.
He emphasized the behavior captured in police body-worn camera footage, raising doubts about Mr. Flegg’s intentions and actions towards Ms. Emerson’s well-being.
The jury will examine the crime scene in Morwell on June 5 before witness testimonies begin.
