On Trial: June 16

Tonight’s case in ABC’s doco series On Trial features the first murder trial filmed in Australian history.

But the screening of the trial of Perth mechanic Anthony Evans was nearly subject to an Underbelly-style delay, after an appeal was to be heard in late May.

In his first trial Evans was found guilty of murder. On appeal, the court found that mistakes had been made and ordered a re-trial. This time, the defence team entered a new plea of unsound mind, or the ‘insanity defence’ as it is more commonly known.

The court hears how Anthony Evans and Alana Dakin met and how the tragic events that transpired were a disaster waiting to happen.

Day two brings an early twist in the trial and there is talk it may be aborted before it really gets going. As the trial continues a series of witnesses for the State give crucial evidence, including what happened on the night of the killing and previous domestic violence incidents.

Rod Evans, the father of the accused, testifies that Alana was ‘out of control’ and highly emotional and that she and Anthony were caught up in a dysfunctional relationship that was imploding in the days and weeks before the murder.

As the prosecution case concludes there is a feeling amongst the Dakin family that the Crown case is slowly unravelling. Rod Evans’s testimony about his troubled son seems to have won some sympathy with the jury. But the all important expert evidence about whether Anthony was of unsound mind when he killed Alana Dakin is still to be heard.

It airs at 8:30pm tonight on ABC1.