The man accused of murdering Ballarat mum Samantha Murphy has stunned court attendees with his appearance on separate charges on Thursday.

Patrick Orren Stephenson, 24, fronted Ballarat Magistrates Court on Thursday via videolink where he pleaded guilty to a series of driving offences. 

Dressed in a fancy R.M Williams top, the alleged killer sported a long, woolly beard in the style common among devout Muslim men. 

It was a major change of appearance for Stephenson, who was clean shaven when he was charged, five weeks after Ms Murphy’s alleged murder. 

While it is unclear if Stephenson has converted to Islam while behind bars, such a decision is not unusual for vulnerable prisoners who do so for protection by other Muslims in the jail.

Stephenson, an apprentice electrician, remains caged within the Melbourne Assessment Prison while awaiting a Supreme Court trial on the murder charge. 

In November, he pleaded not guilty to the murder of Ms Murphy, whose disappearance on February 4 triggered a long and fruitless search around Ballarat in western Victoria. 

On Thursday he pleaded guilty to drink, drug and careless driving, for which he was convicted and fined $2500.

The court heard Stephenson was found lying on the road in the early hours of October 1, 2023 after crashing his motorbike following an AFL Grand Final party with mates. 

The crash left Stephenson – the son of former Richmond and Geelong AFL player Orren Stephenson – with serious injuries that required two weeks of hospital treatment. 

Those injuries included a fractured vertebra, lacerated spleen, broken pelvis and ribs and minor head trauma. 

Police allege he would go on to murder Ms Murphy just three months later despite his injuries. 

Stephenson’s lawyer Moya O’Brien told the court her client still suffered from those injuries, which had seen him return to hospital while behind bars. 

The court heard Stephenson had lost control on a bend, going into a slide that left him crippled on the road. 

Police who attended the crash claimed Stephenson was so drunk they could not make any sense of what he was saying.

On arrival at hospital Stephenson was found to have a blood alcohol reading of at 0.148 – almost three times the legal limit. 

He was also found with traces of MDMA – commonly referred to as ecstasy. 

Stephenson had been serving a two-year good behaviour bond at the time for a previous driving offence. 

Ms O’Brien told the court Stephenson retained the support of his parents and long-time girlfriend. 

‘It’s undoubtedly a serious accident involving a motorcycle. A high reading blood alcohol content and in the wet conditions,’ she said. 

Ms O’Brien said Stephenson had little memory of the crash due to the injuries he sustained in it. 

At the time, Stephenson had been just months away from completing his apprenticeship. 

‘Following the accident he was welcomed back to his employment and at the time of his remand into custody he was working back as an electrician,’ Ms O’Brien said. 

Prosecutors had agreed Stephenson ought be penalised with a fine despite his offending while on a good behavior bond.   

In handing down his sentence, Magistrate Guillaume Bailin said he would have imposed a jail sentence on Stephenson had he not pleaded guilty. 

‘It’s perhaps luck alone that no-one else was injured or you were killed,’ he said.

Stephenson is set to go on trial in Ballarat this year over the death of Ms Murphy.

A lengthy pre-trial preparation and directions hearings are expected throughout the opening months of this year to iron out any potential issues before the main trial begins. 

In November, Ms Murphy’s husband Mick attended court to observe his wife’s alleged killer for the first time. 

Seated at the front of Ballarat Magistrates’ Court, Mr Murphy glared at the video screen in court where Stephenson appeared. 

As the matter progresses through court, police appear no closer to finding Ms Murphy’s body.

Police remain tight-lipped over how the investigation is progressing, advising only that the search for Ms Murphy’s body is continuing.

Large search crews have repeatedly ventured into the wilderness around Ballarat, which contains many abandoned mine shafts, throughout the year without any success.

Stephenson is accused of murdering Ms Murphy while she was out on a Sunday jog.