Ryan Bayldon-Lumsden granted Supreme Court bail

A Gold Coast city councillor accused of murdering his stepfather has been granted bail.

Transcript

00:00 Gold Coast City Councillor Ryan Baildon-Lumsden will be allowed to return to his community

00:06 just over a week since he allegedly murdered his stepfather, Robert Lumsden.

00:12 More details of the alleged killing and what occurred in the weeks and months leading up

00:16 to it were heard in court today.

00:18 Just 48 hours before the incident, the Councillor searched on the internet, "If you kill someone

00:24 in self-defence, will you go to jail?"

00:26 And when is it manslaughter and when is it self-defence?

00:30 Mr Baildon-Lumsden's barrister Craig Eberhardt argued that the five minutes his clients spent

00:35 doing these searches were purely out of curiosity and were consistent with a victim of domestic

00:40 violence.

00:41 Mr Eberhardt told the court the Councillor had been subject to years of violence and

00:45 controlling behaviour at the hands of his stepfather, saying his stepfather controlled,

00:51 manipulated, dominated, humiliated, abused and threatened him for years.

00:56 He said Mr Baildon-Lumsden had recently sought advice from a domestic violence hotline after

01:01 his stepfather's behaviour became increasingly erratic and threatening.

01:05 This is what his lawyer Jason Murakami had to say outside court earlier.

01:11 Men can be victims of domestic violence as well and we need to show them the same compassion

01:16 and support as we do other victims of domestic violence.

01:21 The prosecution told the court their case will rely on autopsy results which show Mr

01:26 Lumsden was strangled for a long period of time.

01:29 Justice Lincoln Crowley stated blood vessels had burst in the victim's eyes, showing an

01:33 extended period of build-up of pressure which shows a level of dedication to the act of

01:38 strangulation.

01:40 The prosecution said in police interviews the Councillor told police he was trained

01:44 in mixed martial arts and practised Kung Fu for a decade as a teenager.

01:49 His family were in court today and are committed to supporting him.

01:53 As a condition of his bail, Mr Baildon-Lumsden will stay with his girlfriend.

01:58 His mother posted a $250,000 surety for his release.

02:03 His lawyer has indicated that he will fight the charges and plead not guilty to murder,

02:08 although the court heard at this stage a trial isn't likely until 2025.

02:12 [BLANK_AUDIO]