11yo boy found grandmother’s murdered body, court hears

The daughter of an alleged murder victim has emotionally told a Supreme Court trial how she came across her mother’s lifeless body lying on the kitchen floor.

Phyllis Harrison was the first of three South Australians allegedly murdered by Steven Leslie Hainsworth over 13 years, between 1998 and 2011.

Mr Hainsworth, 49, of Mildura, is standing trial accused of murdering Ms Harrison, 71, along with his aunt Beverley Hanley, 64 and Mount Gambier pensioner Stephen Newton, 55.

Ms Harrison’s daughter, Julie Lane, requested a break during her evidence, when she was asked to review pictures of the crime scene taken at her mother’s Elizabeth South home.

The court previously heard Mr Hainsworth had moved into a neighbouring property to Ms Harrison weeks before her alleged murder.

Prosecutor Amelia Cairney told the court Mr Hainsworth allegedly stabbed Ms Harrison to death while she was home alone – and ransacked her home looking for items of value to fuel his drug habit.

She also previously told the court DNA profiles matching Mr Hainsworth’s were found around Ms Harrison’s house – despite him allegedly telling police he had never entered her home.

Ms Lane said she arrived at her mother’s house after receiving a phone call from her sister, Dianne Smoker, who had discovered their mother’s body.

“I knelt down … and felt for a pulse on her neck,” Ms Lane told the court.

Ms Lane said she was unable to find a pulse.

She then became emotional as she described rearranging the hem of her mother’s dress.

“I pulled down her dress,” she said.

“It was up by her hips.”

Ms Lane’s husband, Patrick Lane, also gave evidence, telling the court he and his wife raced to Ms Harrison’s home.

“Diane was very incoherent, panicking,” he said.

“She was saying [Ms Harrison] had collapsed and was on the floor.”

Earlier, Ms Harrison’s grandson Luke Smoker – who was 11 at the time – told the court he was with his mother, Dianne Smoker, when they found the body.

“As I was heading towards that door that would take you into the lounge room I caught a glimpse of nanna’s feet on my left-hand side,” Mr Smoker said.

“I saw the initial glimpse of the shoes to my left, my brain was like, ‘well, this is a strange spot for nanna to be sleeping,’ … then [I] could see the whole body.”

Mr Smoker said he then saw blood near Ms Harrison’s head and yelled out to his mother to come over.

DNA evidence key to defence case

Andrew Fowler-Walker, for Mr Hainsworth, cross-examined Ms Lane about whether her mother had interacted with her neighbour, who she knew as “Steven”.

“And that she told you he had come into her property a few times to collect a sports ball?” he asked Ms Lane.

He told the court evidence of Mr Hainsworth having been at the house previously and potential DNA contamination was a key issue for the trial.

The court previously heard Mr Hainsworth’s second alleged victim and aunt, Beverley Hanley, died from blunt and sharp force trauma while she was also home alone in Adelaide’s northern suburbs in 2010.

Prosecutors also allege Mr Hainsworth bashed Mr Newton to death and used green spray paint in an attempt to conceal evidence he had attended his Mount Gambier Property,

The court heard spray paint was allegedly found on Mr Newton’s body, doorknobs and light switches.

The judge alone trial, before Justice Adam Kimber, continues.