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Victorian Jury Finds Mark Ludbrook Guilty of Murder in Hoppers Crossing Killing

Jurors rejected his claim of PCE-induced loss of control.

Overview

  • Mark Ludbrook, 53, admitted killing his friend Autumn Baker at his Hoppers Crossing home on August 3, 2023.
  • The defence said he took the illicit drug PCE for pain from transverse myelitis and lacked voluntary control, a claim the prosecution disputed.
  • After close to four days of deliberations in a retrial, the jury returned a guilty verdict on Thursday.
  • Carer Amber Davison testified that Ludbrook behaved bizarrely before the stabbing, including walking naked despite severe mobility limits and fixating on colours and a daisy bush.
  • Ludbrook was remanded into custody after the verdict, with pre-sentence reports to be prepared and the case listed for a March court mention.