Mr Yovich has objected to some of this evidence and, in a ruling earlier this month, Justice Stephen Hall said he would provisionally allow the "emotional upset" argument, but would make a final decision during the trial. He also said he would rebut the emotional upset argument by emphasising the lack of evidence proving Edwards's mental state at the time. Media Release-23 September 2020 0. Connect with friends faster than ever with the new Facebook app. Tim Clarke The West Australian. Almost 24 years since an 18-year-old girl vanished without a trace from a well-heeled suburb of Perth, the trial of the man accused of what became known as the Claremont serial killings finally gets underway today. Cybercrime has evolved. Omny Studio is the complete audio management solution for podcasters and radio stations Claremont Serial Killings Crime Courts & Justice WA News. The trial was initially set down to be heard over nine months, but prosecutors have since revised that timeframe down to approximately six months following Edwards's guilty pleas to the rapes, assault and associated charges. DISTRESSING CONTENT - WARNING: The following story may be distressing to some readers. They are expected to include experts in various scientific fields, some of whom may be flown in from overseas, and possibly other people close to Edwards — family members, friends and workmates. She said similar knives were found by police at his Kewdale home in a toolbox following his arrest. These events included Edwards finding out about his first wife's infidelity, finding out she was pregnant to another man and finalising documents concerning the sale of the marital home. The list of witnesses has not been released by the court ahead of the trial. The DNA and fibre evidence is likely to be dense and complicated, involving myriad expert witnesses, and its complexity was another reason it was decided the trial should be judge-alone. In February 2018, Edwards was additionally charged with the murder of Ms Spiers, whose body — unlike those of Ms Rimmer and Ms Glennon — has never been found. Powered by . From images of the accused to items of clothing and never-before-seen crime scenes relating to the deaths of Sarah Spiers, Jane Rimmer and Ciara Glennon, we take a look at all the exhibits made available to the press. The onus would be on the prosecution to prove Edwards committed the murders, while the defence team was expected to concentrate on showing the impossibility of proving beyond reasonable doubt that it was Edwards and no one else who was responsible. He has pleaded not guilty to all three murders. Rick and Sue are the only presenters who have been there from the very beginning. Ms Barbagallo told a pre-trial hearing in February the knife — which carried the logo of Edwards's employer Telecom (now Telstra) — may have been used to kill the 23-year-old. He maintained his innocence of all eight charges against him until last month, when he sensationally admitted to five counts relating to the sex attacks on the two women, who have not been named for legal reasons. A series of pre-trial directions hearings and judgments have given an indication of the case against Edwards for the three murders. We already know that some of the evidence will be extremely graphic and likely to shock. Bradley Robert Edwards is accused of three murders — that of 18-year-old Sarah Spiers in January 1996, 23-year-old Jane Rimmer in June 1996 and 27-year-old Ciara Glennon in March 1997. Claremont serial killings trial comes to a close. He will remain in custody for the duration of the trial. But at later hearings, Edwards's defence lawyers flagged they would argue the material could have been transferred to Ms Glennon through passive social contact, and that they would call their own experts in support of that hypothesis. Mr Yovich made it plain during pre-trial hearings that he intended to rely heavily on expert testimony casting doubt on the DNA and fibre evidence being connected to Edwards, and on the possibility of samples being contaminated through mishandling. Media Release-24 September 2020 0. His trial is expected to take six months and will be one of the lengthiest and most complex in WA history. 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