A FATHER accused of killing his son did so because he wanted to watch the AFL grand final, the Supreme Court heard today.
Ernest Albert Fisher appeared today for the first day of his trial for the murder of his son Matthew Kyle Fisher-Turner in 2016.
His children Hannah Fisher and Joshua Fisher also appeared in court today on charges of being an accessory after the fact.
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State prosecutor Laura Christian, who opened the trial today, said grand final day in 2016 was a memorable day for footy fans but it was memorable to Ernest Fisher for another reason – it was the day he killed his son.
“He had made the decision to kill his son earlier but chose that morning and used his two children to clean up and bury the body,” she said.
“Matt was killed because he wanted to use the car.”
“Ernest thought – ‘I’m not having it’ – so he decided to get two large knives and kill him.”
She said Matthew Fisher was killed in his brother’s room and was stabbed two to three times in his chest, with the fatal wound perforating his lung.
“He immediately threw the knives in the council bin and started digging a grave but did not finish – football was a priority and he did not want to miss the grand final,” Ms Christian said.
She further argued siblings Joshua and Hannah both cleaned up the scene, with Joshua burying the body in the backyard.
When Matthew’s friends and family began questioning after he failed to return phone calls and texts they were told he had moved out.
“Ernest told people Matt had gone over east with a ‘chicky-babe’ – he told this story to several people,” she said.
She said there had been yelling and a fight minutes before Matt was stabbed and that Matt had previously told Ernest ‘the wrong parent died’.
Matt’s mother, Jill Fisher died from cancer in 2014.
Mr Fisher’s defence lawyer Sam Vandongen accepted that Ernest had killed his son.
“Ernest repeatedly lied to police – it is not whether he did or did not – because he admits to police to killing his son with two sharp knives he got from the shed,” he said.
“‘Why’ is the question.
“When their mother died from cancer it badly affected the family.
“It badly affected Ernest and Matthew – whether this led to murder no-one can say.”
He said the house had been left unkempt and the youngest child did not have a room but slept on a couch.
He said Matt had directed much anger and vitriol at the family and was violent and aggressive to Ernest.
Before lunch three witnesses were called – Tayleh Vincent, Pika Tarawhitit and Casey Baldacchini.
All three had a relationship with Matt the week before he died and all last spoke to him on September 30, the day before he was killed.
The third witness, Ms Baldacchini had stayed the night with him and had seen him less than an hour before his death.
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