Mark Ludbrook, 53, admitted he killed his friend Autumn Baker at his Hoppers Crossing home in Melbourne's south-west on August 3, 2023.
Share and Follow

A jury has been unable to decide whether a wheelchair user who walked around naked for more than an hour before stabbing a woman to death committed murder.

Mark Ludbrook, 53, admitted he killed his friend Autumn Baker at his Hoppers Crossing home in Melbourne‘s south-west on August 3, 2023.

But he denied he was guilty of murder, claiming his mind was altered by the illicit drug PCE and he had no control of his actions.

Mark Ludbrook, 53, admitted he killed his friend Autumn Baker at his Hoppers Crossing home in Melbourne's south-west on August 3, 2023.
Mark Ludbrook, 53, admitted he killed his friend Autumn Baker at his Hoppers Crossing home in Melbourne’s south-west on August 3, 2023. (AAP Image/Con Chronis)

The Victorian Supreme Court jury was told Ludbrook took the drug on the morning of August 3 to manage chronic pain from his diagnosed transverse myelitis.

His carer Amber Davison described his strange behaviour before the alleged murder, where he was seen walking around naked despite normally only managing three steps at a time.

Ludbrook also thanked different colours and told his carer how he needed to sleep with her to save the animals, Davison told the jury.

Ludbrook’s barrister Emily Clark said her client’s behaviour showed he was in an altered state of mind so he could not have consciously, deliberately or voluntarily carried out the killing.

Crown prosecutor Jim Shaw argued while Ludbrook was clearly drug-affected, he was still conscious of his actions and should be found guilty of murder.

The jury was sent out to deliberate on August 25 but was unable to reach a unanimous verdict.

Justice John Champion discharged the 12 jurors this afternoon.

Ludbrook will face a fresh directions hearing in the Supreme Court on September 16.

Share and Follow
You May Also Like
Missing woman Isla Bell.

Court Hears Teen’s Body Was Crushed in Garbage Truck Following Suspected Homicide

An expert can’t determine how a young woman died because her body…
Council declares water safe for swimming after fish kill

Council Confirms Water Safety for Swimmers Following Fish Die-Off

Thousands of dead fish that washed up on a Gold Coast beach…

Australians Divided Over the Acceptability of Theft

Younger Australians are more likely to rationalise stealing, changing price tags and…
An ANZ logo on one of the bank's offices in Sydney.

Leading Bank Shares Unexpected Update That Will Disappoint Many

ANZ has become the third of the big four banks to strike…
Rescuers carry the body of a newly recovered victim of a building that collapsed at an Islamic boarding school in Sidoarjo, East Java, Indonesia, Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Trisnadi)

Death Toll Rises to 40 After Indonesian School Collapses

Indonesian rescuers searching for missing students after a prayer hall at an…

‘Manifestly Inadequate’: Prosecutors to Challenge Erin Patterson’s Sentence

The 51-year-old was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of…

Exploring the Controversial Realm of Deathmatch Wrestling

This article contains graphic descriptions and imagery. Between the hours of 9am…

Police Emphasize That Sovereign Citizens Must Follow the Law; Over 100 Guns Confiscated

More than 100 weapons have been seized in raids targeting so-called “sovereign…