Khandallah Murder Trial: Julia DeLuney's Phone Inactive for 37 Minutes on Night of Murder

In a high-profile murder trial in Wellington, Julia DeLuney faces charges of murdering her 79-year-old mother, Helen Gregory. The case has taken a dramatic turn as new evidence reveals a 37-minute window when DeLuney’s phone was inactive on the night of the crime.

During the trial at the High Court, Detective Constable Mitchell Murdoch provided a detailed account of the events leading up to the murder, drawing from CCTV footage and phone data. The evidence shows that between 9:01 pm and 9:38 pm, DeLuney’s phone was locked and inactive, during which time she missed multiple calls and messages from her husband.

DeLuney, who is currently on trial and denies the charges, claimed she was at her mother's house to book ballet tickets. She stated that her mother, Helen Gregory, was searching for a lost shirt and went into the attic, where she fell and sustained a head injury. However, investigators have raised doubts about this account, as the injuries described did not match the blood found at the scene.

Phone data also revealed a similar gap in activity on Gregory’s phone. The defense argues that this indicates Gregory did indeed go into the attic, as supported by crime scene photos showing blood near the attic entrance. However, Murdoch pointed out that phone data tracking movement between floors is not entirely reliable.

The defense’s case is that Gregory fell from the attic, and DeLuney went to get help. They claim that during this time, someone else entered the house and killed Gregory. The Crown, on the other hand, suggests that DeLuney attacked her mother, left her dead or dying, staged the scene to look like a fall, and then returned to Paraparaumu to fetch her husband.

Additional evidence presented in court includes CCTV footage of DeLuney buying a lighter at a petrol station on her way back from her mother's house. Her phone data also shows her flashlight was turned on at 9:39 pm, which aligns with footage of her descending the steps outside her mother’s house.

The case continues to unfold, with the jury carefully examining the evidence. As the trial progresses, the question remains: was this a tragic accident, or was it a calculated act of violence?