Dupas showed murder method, court told

Convicted murderer Peter Dupas showed a jailmate how he killed a young woman at a
Melbourne cemetery and said he left no forensic evidence, a jury has heard.
Prosecutor Michele Williams SC said Dupas confessed to jailed lawyer Andrew Fraser:
"I left no forensic evidence at Fawkner".
Three witnesses will testify they saw a man matching Dupas' description at Fawkner
cemetery on the day Mersina Halvagis, 25, was stabbed more than 33 times as she
tended to her grandmother's grave on November 1, 1997.
Dupas, 57, pleaded not guilty to her murder.
His defence said even though he has convictions for murdering two other women, it
did not mean he also murdered Ms Halvagis.
The prosecution told the Victorian Supreme Court Fraser would testify that Dupas
demonstrated how he attacked and killed Ms Halvagis.
Fraser, who shared a unit in Port Phillip Prison with Dupas after being jailed on
serious drug charges, will testify that Dupas became shaken when a young inmate of
Greek appearance berated him over Halvagis' murder.
The inmate told Dupas "I know you did it", called him an animal and said he would
kill Dupas if given the chance, the court has been told.
Dupas then allegedly told Fraser: "How does that c-t know I did it?"
"We say that's an admission by the accused man to Mr Fraser," Ms Williams said.
The retrial jury was told Dupas was convicted in 2000 of murdering Nicole Patterson
and in 2004 of murdering Margaret Maher.
It heard cemetery worker Laima Burman would testify that she was approached by a man
on the day of Ms Halvagis' murder.
The man said his name was John Roberts and that he had found his adoptive mother's
grave, the court was told.
He asked Ms Burman a couple of times what was behind a hedge, but she ignored him.
The jury was told that she noticed his jacket had a tear.
Ms Williams said it was a chilling piece of evidence, as police found a matching
jacket in Dupas' home in 1999.
In 2000, Ms Burman saw a man's image on the front page of the Herald Sun newspaper
which she matched to the man she met at the cemetery.
Defence barrister Graham Thomas, SC, said publicity surrounding Dupas' two murder
convictions was significant, but the crown had to prove this case beyond reasonable
doubt.
"Peter Dupas can't expect sympathy, doesn't deserve it and won't get any," he said.
"What he does want is a fair trial."
Mr Thomas said witness evidence had been tainted by publicity surrounding his client.
He described Fraser as a "wheeler and dealer" who had followed publicity about Dupas
while in jail and that a $1 million reward had been posted for information leading
to the conviction of Ms Halvagis' killer.
Mr Thomas said Fraser called police and said: "I've got what you want, but it's a
ride for a ride. Get me out early and I'll tell you what you want to hear".
Mr Thomas said jurors couldn't trust his testimony.
"Would you trust this man if you were dealing with him in your ordinary day-to-day
dealings?" he said.
The prosecution said Dupas told police he had never been to Fawkner cemetery and did
not know anyone buried there, but his grandfather's grave was 128 metres from where
Ms Halvagis was murdered.
The Victorian Supreme Court trial continues on Thursday.