An Adelaide man who was charged with the stabbing murder of his housemate has been found “not criminally responsible due to mental incompetence”, a court has ruled.
Kristopher Robert Steele stabbed John Charles Frederick Cox in the neck with scissors on the night of January 13, 2025, at Cowandilla in Adelaide’s inner western suburbs.
South Australian Supreme Court Justice Anne Bampton found Mr Steele’s conduct was proved, but that he was not criminally responsible due to mental incompetence and declared him liable for mental health supervision.
Mr Steele was arrested in the early hours of January 14 for serious criminal trespass, after multiple break-ins at businesses on Henley Beach Road in Torrensville.
According to Justice Bampton’s judgement, Mr Steele admitted to breaking into the nearby businesses, and was asked by police, “have you done any more that we haven’t become aware of yet”.
“Yeah, I did kill somebody as well too,” Mr Steele responded.
Justice Bampton said Mr Steele then gave police more details about the alleged offending “including that he had used a pair of scissors, it had happened at his home address, and involved a man named John”.
Police responded to the house where John Charles Frederick Cox’s body was found. (ABC News: James Wakelin)
The court heard police found a pair of scissors and clothing, both of which had “bloodlike staining”.
Officers then found Mr Cox on the floor of his bedroom at the Cowandilla home about 1:35am on January 14, 2025.
Paramedics declared the 62-year-old deceased and Mr Steele was arrested for murder.
Mental competence considered
In the judgement, Justice Bampton said she was “satisfied that the objective elements of the offence of murder are established beyond reasonable doubt”, but that two medical experts were each of the opinion that Mr Steele had schizophrenia.
“Further, they each consider that Mr Steele, at the time of the conduct giving rise to the charge of murder, was mentally incompetent to have committed the alleged offence,” the judgement read.
The judgement also noted one of the two professionals, Dr Owen Haeney, did “not consider that Mr Steele was unaware of the nature or quality of his conduct”.
“However, Dr Haeney considers that at the time of his conduct giving rise to the charge of murder, Mr Steele was labouring under the effect of a psychotic mental illness and was unable to reason whether his conduct, as perceived by reasonable people, was wrong,” the judgement said.
Dr Haeney did not believe Mr Steele was totally unable to control his conduct, but he was unable to reason whether his conduct was wrong.
The trial was heard by judge alone in South Australia’s Supreme Court. (ABC News: Che Chorley)
Justice Bampton noted the other expert, Dr William Brereton, also said he would not say Mr Steele was totally unable to control his conduct.
She said Dr Brereton was also of the opinion that “Mr Steele did not know his conduct was wrong”.
“That is, Mr Steele could not reason about whether his conduct, as perceived by reasonable people, was wrong in the face of command auditory hallucinations and a distressing background of persecutory delusions,” Justice Bampton said.
‘Change of clothing’ captured on CCTV
The judgement noted the house Mr Cox and Mr Steele lived in had CCTV cameras in common areas, which captured Mr Cox entering his bedroom about 9:30pm on January 13.
“At 9:48 pm, Mr Steele entered Mr Cox’s bedroom, and left after 10 minutes, with stains down the front of his clothing,” Justice Bampton said.
“At 10:14 pm, Mr Steele went into the bathroom and exited in a change of clothing.”
He was then captured on CCTV leaving the property just after midnight on January 14, with police arresting him in relation to the trespasses soon after.
The matter will return to court in August, with further reports to be provided to the court.
