Upper Yarra
5 Tuesday, 19 May, 2015
Swinburne talks begin
8-9
Mail Covering the Upper Yarra Region of the Yarra Ranges Shire
Budgets handed down
A Mail News Group publication
25-27
Sports of all sorts
Phone: 5957 3700 Trades and Classifieds: 1300 666 808
Killed over cash By KATH GANNAWAY A YARRA Junction man tried to blame friends and neighbours for the brutal death of his partner, the Melbourne Supreme Court heard last week. It wasnât the worst of a shocking litany of revelations at a plea hearing on Friday 15 May, in relation to the murder of Elizabeth Barnes at the hands of her partner Andrew Carl Albert Klaussner. Klaussner, 40, pleaded guilty in March to killing Miss Barnes, then 37, on 26 September 2013. The court heard the couple had argued over money in the cabin they shared at a caravan park in Britannia Creek Road, Yarra Junction, on the day she was killed. Behind in their rent, with $380 due in three days, and faced with again being homeless, they had been to Warburton earlier in the day to look for rental accommodation. The court heard that they returned to the cabin, where Klaussner wanted money to buy drugs, but Ms Barnes wanted to keep it for rent. Crown Prosecutor Fran Dalziel said Klaussner strangled Ms Barnes who also suffered knife wounds, including a stab wound to the back of the neck and bruises and cuts to her head and neck. Ms Dalziel said while the prosecution could not say exactly what happened, it was clear that Ms Barnes was also struck to the face with blunt force and that a knife caused superficial cuts and the deep stab wound. She said this was contrary to Mr Klaussnerâs version where he claimed she had picked up the knife and attacked him and that he was attempting to disarm her. She said Klaussner had a history of violence towards Ms Barnes. âHaving killed Ms Barnes, Klaussner took her bankcard, purchased methylamphetamine, injected that drug and spent the night on the bed while Ms
Ronnieâs still dancing at 98 Barnes lay dead on the floor,â she said. Ms Dalziel said Klaussner told his drug dealer that he had strangled âmy
DANCING is in Ronnie Howardâs blood. And, Warburton Photographer Ivan Gaal has captured that love affair beautifully in Ron is still dancing at 98. The portrait is one of 44 selected from 2500 entries from around Australia that are now part of the 2015 National Photographic Portrait Prize. Read more about Ivan and Ronnie on page 7. 139130
missusâ and knocked her out. He told him he didnât know whether he had killed her and was âtoo scared to
go back and see what had happenedâ. She said he reported the death to police the following day, AFL Grand Final
day, creating a false story and pointing the finger at a number of potential suspects. Continued on page 3
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