Prosecutors have referred to as on a jury to search out Ellie Value’s boyfriend responsible of her slaying, arguing they need to ignore the “distraction” of her brothel-owning finest good friend.
On Friday, prosecutor Damien Hannan delivered his closing handle to the Victorian Supreme Court jury who can be requested this week to retire and attain a verdict.
Over the four-week trial, he mentioned they’d heard “clear and easy” proof to search out Ricardo Barbaro, 36, responsible of the 26-year-old’s homicide.
“Ellie Value died due to murderous blows inflicted by the accused within the early hours of April 29, 2020,” he argued.
“The forensic proof right here is damning.”
However Mr Barbaro’s barrister Rishi Nathwani pointed the finger at Ms Value’s rich benefactor Mark Grey, saying he had motive, means and had informed “apparent” lies when giving proof.
“Who was it who gave Ellie Value every thing she needed financially?” he questioned.
“Who was spurned by Ellie Value for folks like Semair Shaaban (her former boyfriend) and Ricardo Barbaro?
“Who has talked of, in his personal phrases, about safety folks and the meanest males in Melbourne that bikies go to to eliminate issues?”
Pointing to Mr Barbaro, Mr Nathwani mentioned: “It’s not him.”
Giving his closing handle, Mr Nathwani in contrast the case to that of Lindy Chamberlain, who was wrongfully convicted of murdering her nine-week-old daughter regardless of sustaining she noticed a dingo depart the tent.
“It is without doubt one of the most startling examples on this nation of what’s referred to as affirmation bias,” he mentioned.
“The entire proof was seen by the prism of her guilt.”
He argued that police had assumed his client was Ms Value’s killer from the start and ignored proof on the contrary – by no means “actually” investigating Mr Grey.
This was countered by Mr Hannan, who labelled the hypotheses “ridiculous”.
“Is {that a} rational different homicide speculation? No it‘s not and I’m positive you’ll reject that,” he mentioned.
Outlining the Crown’s case towards Mr Barbaro, Mr Hannan mentioned CCTV and telephone information had caught the accused man allegedly fleeing Ms Value’s house about 4.30am by no means to return.
Regardless of media publicity of the homicide, and detectives visiting Mr Barbaro’s father Joe in an effort to search out him, Mr Hannan mentioned Mr Barbaro quickly left Victoria and was arrested in NSW.
Mr Hannan mentioned in CCTV footage from the day after Ms Value was allegedly murdered, Mr Barbaro had giant “scratches” to his tricep.
He requested the jury to search out that these had been defensive wounds from Ms Value, saying “clearly” Ms Value had scratched him whereas making an attempt to get away in the course of the “frenzy”.
“Join that with the blood discovered underneath her fingernails,” he mentioned.
“His blood – 100 billion to 1 it’s not – that’s telling proof.”
The jury was informed Ms Value’s physique was found within the blood-soaked bed room of her South Melbourne house on Could 4 after her involved mom Tracey Gangell requested a welfare verify.
Initially of the trial, Mr Nathwani mentioned there was no dispute Ms Value was murdered, labelling the case a “whodunit”.
Now weeks later, he has positioned the blame squarely on Mr Grey – a rich brothel proprietor who had been financially supporting Ms Value since they grew to become buddies in 2017.
He informed the court that Ms Value had tried to extort Mr Grey for $100,000 within the days earlier than her dying by threatening to make a false grievance.
Mr Nathwani argued the jury ought to view a textual content from Mr Grey to Ms Value’s sister Danielle, wherein he says he believes Mr Barbaro’s lawyer will pin it on the “seedy” brothel proprietor hiring a success man, as a “confession”.
“A lot will flip in your evaluation of Mark Grey,” he mentioned.
“Ricardo Barbaro mentioned not responsible firstly of the trial, it’s a matter so that you can resolve.
“We are saying the reply, on the proof, is that you have to at least have a doubt … in that case, the right verdicts according to your oaths have to be not responsible.”
The trial, earlier than Justice Lex Lasry, continues.
