Defendants’ trail of messages exposed

A trail of often misspelled text messages and Facebook conversations reveal a murder victim’s last movements and an alleged plot to confront him.

Crown witness Constable Kieran Miskimmin, a digital first responder, gave evidence in the High Court in Invercargill yesterday.

Christopher Brown, Laura Scheepers, Natasha Ruffell, David Wilson and a 24-year-old woman, who has interim name suppression, are on trial accused of the murder of Jack McAllister, also known as Jade Fearn. McAllister was attacked near ILT Stadium Southland, in Invercargill, about 11pm on June 7, 2017. He died in hospital early the next day.

A Facebook chat between Scheepers and Brown at 7.59pm on June 7 saw the plan take shape, the court heard. ‘‘Upto,’’ Scheepers said to Brown, before a phone call between the pair and another message from Scheepers. ‘‘Jack will come if I tell him to but I don’t wanna be evolved [sic] if you’re planning on him not coming out of the hospital.’’ Another phone call followed before she messaged at 8.27pm, with ‘‘How long will everyone be?’’

While Brown and Scheepers colluded, she sent a message to McAllister at 8.12pm: ‘‘Heyyyy. keen to f..k.’’

Messages bounced back and forth: McAllister wanted to meet and told her he was with his friend Braydon McKay, and asked if she wanted ‘‘to hang’’. ‘‘Yeah,’’ she said. ‘‘ ... I’m keen to get over my ex ... I want no strings attached okay? But I don’t want to take advantage of you.’’ They discussed where they could stay the night, before Scheepers suggested the stadium. The time is 10.37pm.

At 10.43pm McAllister messaged to say they were at the stadium and she said was on her way. McAllister would not have known Scheepers was messaging Brown at the same time.

At 10.46pm, Scheepers told Brown McAllister was at the stadium, that she was five minutes away. ‘‘Right we on way keep him there,’’ he replied. ‘‘Wait 10 minutes,’’ Scheepers responded. ‘‘If you get there first he will leave.

The realisation as to how much trouble they were in was exposed in messages between various defendants the next day, the court heard.

Scheepers: ‘‘I’m really deep into this okay; I actual can’t handle ...I didn’t mention names but I was on the phone to my brother; he knows.. I trust him with my life; he said we will be in trouble ... "

A message sent by the 17-year-old with name suppression, who has already pleaded guilty, told defendant Ruffell: ‘‘Man I need you here now... Before they arrest me ... Hurry man before I’m f...d.’’

The trial continues.

‘‘Jack will come if I tell him to but I don’t wanna be evolved [sic] if you’re planning on him not coming out of the hospital.’’

A Facebook message from defendant Laura Scheepers to co-accused Christopher Brown