FORK KILLING MOTIVE

“Misinterpreted advance” in carving fork case

A “MISINTERPRETED advance” is what led a Clifton Springs man to beat his former friend and elderly neighbour unconscious and then set his house on fire, a court has heard.

Mr McKnight, 47, appeared before the Supreme Court sitting in Geelong yesterday pleading guilty to manslaughter and arson.

The Clifton Springs man originally pleaded not guilty to murder and arson before a Supreme Court Jury but the trial — one week in — was dismissed when Mr McKnight changed his plea.

The court heard Mr McKnight had been invited over to his elderly victim and neighbour Graham Stevenson’s house to help him fix a broken pantry door on the evening of May 19, 2016.

Lawyer for Mr McKnight, Shane Gardner, said while they were attempting to fix the door something happened that Mr McKnight interpreted as a “possible advance” by Mr Stevenson.

Mr Gardner said the fight started with his client “punch- ing Mr Stevenson in the nose”.

“Mr Stevenson then armed himself with the nearby carving fork — a grapple then ensues,” he said. “There’s a struggle over the fork and in the process Mr Stevenson is stabbed with it.

“The fight then moves to the main room where Mr McKnight grabs a piece of broken wood from the pantry door and hits Mr Stevenson in the head region.”

Mr Gardner told the court forensic evidence showed the beating didn’t go beyond one blow. “Mr Stevenson is ren- dered unconscious and Mr McKnight believed he had unintentionally killed Mr Stevenson,” he said. “He dumped the wood piece he used to hit Mr Stevenson right near the pantry door.”

“He goes to the shed area just metres away and grabs the fuel can ... and then sets the house on fire in an attempt to hide what he’s done.”

The court heard Mr McKnight had drawn the attention of police and emergency workers with his unusual behaviour after the incident and was heavily influenced by alcohol when interviewed by police at the scene.

Crown Prosecutor Nicholas Papas said blood had been found on Mr Stevenson’s shoes, and his DNA found on one end of the piece of wood. He said fire fighters had given “dramatic” evidence of what they had done to contain the blaze and find the victim inside.

“He (a firefighter) rolled Mr Stevenson on his left side and noted the carving knife protruding from the left side of his chest. He was breathing,” Mr Papas said.

“The victim was taken to The Alfred hospital with burns to 15 per cent of his body and on Sunday, May 22, he died.”

Mr Papas said the crime was on the high end of manslaughter and the arson charge was extremely serious considering fire fighters had put their lives on the line to find Mr Stevenson in the burning home.

Victim impact statements are expected to be read at a further plea hearing before Justice Michael Croucher on November 17 and Mr McKnight was remanded in custody until then.