Major update on Sam Murphy's alleged killer as he appears in the Supreme Court for the first time
The man accused of murdering Ballarat mum Samantha Murphy has learnt when he will finally face justice.
Patrick Orren Stephenson, 24, fronted the Supreme Court of Victoria on Wednesday for the first time in what is the initial step in his long road to trial.
Appearing via videolink, the court heard dates for his murder trial had been secured in September.
While Daily Mail Australia is unable to provide most of the explosive details due to legal reasons, it can be revealed prosecutors plan to cross-examine eight witnesses before the trial to determine whether they need to be called for the main event.
Another witness, who has only recently been identified, is also expected to be examined after police obtain a statement from him.
Stephenson, an apprentice electrician, remains in the Melbourne Assessment Prison while awaiting trial.
The court heard he will appear in the court on March 6 for a case conference between his lawyers and those acting for the prosecution.
Case conferences are held to determine if the case can be resolved.
In November, Stephenson pleaded not guilty to the murder of Ms Murphy, whose disappearance on February 4 triggered a long and fruitless search around Ballarat in western Victoria.
In an unrelated matter, Stephenson last month also pleaded guilty to drink, drug and careless driving, for which he was convicted and fined $2,500.
The court heard Stephenson was found lying on the road in the early hours of October 1, 2023 after crashing his motorbike following an AFL Grand Final party with mates.
The crash left Stephenson - the son of former Richmond and Geelong AFL player Orren Stephenson - with serious injuries that required two weeks of hospital treatment.
Those injuries included a fractured vertebra, lacerated spleen, broken pelvis and ribs, and minor head trauma.
Police allege he would go on to murder Ms Murphy just three months later despite his injuries.
Stephenson's lawyer Moya O'Brien told the court then her client still suffered from those injuries, which had seen him return to hospital while behind bars.
The court heard Stephenson had lost control on a bend, going into a slide that left him injured on the road.
At the time, Stephenson had been just months away from completing his apprenticeship.
'Following the accident he was welcomed back to his employment and at the time of his remand into custody he was working back as an electrician,' Ms O'Brien said.
Prosecutors had agreed Stephenson ought be penalised with a fine despite his offending while on a good behavior bond.
In handing down his sentence, Magistrate Guillaume Bailin said he would have imposed a jail sentence on Stephenson had he not pleaded guilty.
'It's perhaps luck alone that no-one else was injured or you were killed,' he said.
In November, Ms Murphy's husband Mick attended court to observe his wife's alleged killer for the first time.
Seated at the front of Ballarat Magistrates' Court, Mr Murphy glared at the video screen in court where Stephenson appeared.
Police remain tight-lipped over how the investigation is progressing, advising only that the search for Ms Murphy's body is continuing.
Large search crews have repeatedly ventured into the wilderness around Ballarat, which contains many abandoned mine shafts, throughout the year without any success.
