TWO housemates accused of murdering Kangaroo Flat mother-of-four Samantha Kelly will stand trial in Bendigo from October 23.
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The trial of Christine Lyons, 45, and Ronald Lyons, 44, is set for four weeks in the Supreme Court in Bendigo.
Their matter appeared at a directions hearing in the Supreme Court in Melbourne on Tuesday.
Co-accused Peter Arthur, 45, will appear at a plea hearing in the Supreme Court on April 3 and 4. He gave evidence to the committal hearing of Christine and Ronald Lyons earlier in January.
Arthur admitted to killing Ms Kelly with a hammer. The three were charged with murder as part of a joint criminal enterprise, after it was alleged they had openly discussed killing Ms Kelly.
John Desmond, acting for Ronald Lyons, told the court on Tuesday he will argue his client was not party to an agreement to kill Ms Kelly.
“He had nothing to do with either the drugs and what became the subsequent hammer incident,” Mr Desmond said.
He raised the prospect of a Basha hearing before the trial could go ahead. A Basha hearing allows an accused to cross-examine any new witness for the prosecution brought forward after the committal hearing.
- This article was first published on the Bendigo Advertiser