Samantha Murphy alleged murder: Courtroom erupts as magistrate suppresses identity of ex-footballer’s son, 22, accused of murdering missing Ballarat mum

The identity of an ex-footballer’s son charged with the alleged murder of missing mother-of-three Samantha Murphy is being hidden from the public by the Victorian justice system. 

In a slap in the face to Ms Murphy’s long-suffering family, Daily Mail Australia is forbidden from revealing her alleged killer’s name after his lawyer successfully applied for a court-imposed gag order.

The move sparked a revolt in the courtroom as representatives from various media outlets objected to the suppression order.

The 22-year-old man from Scotsburn, located about 18km east of Ms Murphy’s Ballarat home, appeared in the Ballarat Magistrates’ Court on Thursday afternoon. 

Represented by lawyer David Tamanika, the court heard the alleged killer’s name should be suppressed from the public despite it already being widely reported in the hours before the hearing. 

Mr Tamanika told Magistrate Michelle Mykytowycz he held grave concerns for the safety of his client due to his age and the massive publicity in the case.

He told the magistrate his client had never been in jail before and was at a risk of self harm while awaiting his next court appearance. 

The court heard the man, who was dressed in a bright orange workers vest, was made so as not to ‘prejudice the administration of justice’ for his client given he was only arrested a day earlier. 

Mr Tamanika said his client faced ‘significant mental health challenges’ behind bars, which would be compounded by his identity being outed to the general public. 

He asked the order be made nationwide, highlighting the story of Ms Murphy’s disappearance had made headlines across the globe. 

While a Victoria Police prosecutor declined to be heard on the application, up to a dozen media organisations opposed the granting of the order, arguing ‘the horse had already bolted’. 

At the time of the hearing late on Thursday afternoon, the man’s name and image had been splashed across news websites and television broadcasts for hours. 

Ms Murphy’s husband addressed the media on Thursday afternoon outside the family home

However, Magistrate Mykytowycz dismissed those arguments, declaring she would impose an interim gag order that she would not allow to be challenged until April 12.

‘That should not be a proper basis, in my view, to rule out a suppression order,’ she said.  

In making the order, the magistrate dismissed the public interest in the case, saying the accused’s right to justice was more important.

‘The defence is entitled to a fair trial,’ she said. 

Following the hearing, media organisations launched a challenge to the suppression order, with the matter set to return to court on Friday morning. 

The 22-year-old man was charged on Thursday just over four weeks after Ms Murphy vanished on a morning run in Ballarat, in Victoria’s Central Highlands. 

Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police Shane Patton said police will allege Ms Murphy was murdered at Mount Clear on the day she disappeared. 

He said the accused was not known to the family and they are not looking for anyone else in relation to her disappearance. 

Commissioner Patton said the accused has not disclosed where her body is and detectives would do ‘everything’ to find her for the sake of bringing closure to her family.

‘Anyone being told a loved one has been murdered is tragic,’ he told reporters on Thursday.

‘Doing everything to find Samantha’s body is absolutely vital for the family.’ 

Commissioner Patton said police would allege it was a ‘deliberate’ attack but he would not provide any further details about the circumstances as the matter is before the courts.

However, he did confirm police would not allege Ms Murphy was killed in a hit and run.