Trial told man was walking from fire

“I thought it was an odd thing for him to say.” LYN YEARWOOD

FIREFIGHTERS have told a Supreme Court murder trial they saw a man walking down the smoky driveway of a burning Clifton Springs home as they entered to fight the blaze.

The court was told some of the firefighters saw the same man being arrested by police shortly afterwards.

Three of the firefighters were the men who carried 79year-old Graham Stevenson’s bleeding and burnt body from the house, and the court was told a carving fork fell from the victim’s chest as he was lifted.

The jury heard that as the man walked from the property one of the firefighters asked him why the boot of a red Audi car in Mr Stevenson’s carport was open.

“All he said was ‘Look in the glovebox’,” one of the firefighters recalled.

Clifton Springs neighbour Stuart Matthew McKnight, 45, is accused of killing Mr Stevenson.

The court heard that as paramedics worked to save Mr Stevenson, Mr McKnight told other neighbours outside the elderly man’s burning home he believed Mr Stevenson was a paedophile.

Bunganowee Drive resident Lyn Yearwood was watching the dramatic scenes unfold on her street in May last year when she says the accused made the claim against Mr Stevenson.

“I thought it was an odd thing for him to say,” she said.

Earlier this week the jury of six men and six women were told there was no truth to the allegation.

Ms Yearwood had her memories of the events of that day tested in court yesterday, particularly her evidence that she saw Mr McKnight emerge from the burning property before others were on the scene, and head to his own house.

She admitted she did not immediately realise the man coming out of the smoke at that time was Mr McKnight but later formed that opinion.

But Mr McKnight’s barrister, Shane Gardner, asked the woman if she was “guessing” or “assuming” it was his client based on information she later acquired.

“I don’t believe so, having had the conversations with him. I don’t believe it is a guess, but I could be wrong,” Ms Yearwood said.

The court was played a 000 phone call that Ms Yearwood made on the night. “Somebody came out (of the property) but I don’t know who it was,” she told the dispatcher at the time.

She said Mr McKnight reemerged from his home shortly afterwards with wet hair and went back in to Mr Stevenson’s burning home before coming out again.

The trial continues.