May 5, 2025 • 18 mins
As Australia reels from the murder of Audrey Griffin, we examine how Clare's Law could help protect women from offenders with violent histories.
Plus, it's the first Monday in May (in the US) and the Met Gala is making history... We unpack everything you need to know about one of fashion's biggest nights.
And in headlines today Alleged mushroom killer Erin Patterson described as a true crime super sleuth by fellow facebook group members; All the cardinals have arrived in Rome ahead of tomorrow's papal conclave to select a new pope; The Trump administration is offering illegal immigrants $1000 for voluntarily returning to their home countries; The royal family have taken to the balcony of Buckingham Palace as they celebrate the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII; LeBron James has pulled out of attending the Met Gala just hours before the start of the red carpet
Content warning: This episode contains discussion of violence against women and mentions of deceased persons.
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CREDITS
Hosts: Taylah Strano & Claire Murphy
Guests:
Cass Green, Mamamia's Morning Editor
Chelsea Hui, Mamamia's Entertainment Writer
Executive Producer: Taylah Strano
Audio Producer: Lu Hill
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
You're listening to a Muma Mea podcast. Mamma Mea acknowledges
the traditional owners of land and waters that this podcast
is recorded.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
On Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander. People should be aware
that this episode contains names of deceix persons. Hey, I'm
Taylor Straano. This is Mumma Mer's twice daily news podcast,
The Quickie. The murder of Audrey Griffin has shocked Australia
as more information comes to light about her killer's violent past,
(00:40):
Outrage and questions swell around how this could have been prevented.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
Plus in the US.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Right now, it's the first Monday in May, which means
it's Met Garla Day. Let's step through all the details
and controversies of Garla's gone by before we get there.
He's Claire Murphy with the latest from The Quickie newsroom
for Tuesday May six.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
Thanks Taylor. The jury in the trial of the alleged
mushroom killer Erin Patterson has been told she had a
reputation as a super sleuth amongst true crime fans on
social media. The fifty year old has pleaded not guilty
to the murder of her in laws Gaale and Don
Patterson and Gail's sister Heather, and the attempted murder of
Heather's husband, Ian, who managed to survive the lunch where
(01:21):
they were served beef Wellington allegedly laced with the deadly
death cap mushroom, Patterson claiming it was a terrible accident.
Three members of a true crime Facebook group that Patterson
is a member of gave evidence to the court, explaining
how they'd discussed the case of baby killer Kelly Lane
as well as others. They said she was well known
to be able to research and get information quickly from
(01:42):
the Internet. They also talked about Patterson's conversations about her husband,
saying she'd use the word coercive at times, and that
she claimed his family were very demanding and that she'd
struggled with those demands. She also shared with them pictures
of her new dehydrator full of mushrooms, writing that she'd
been hiding powdered mushrooms in everything, including Brownie's, and that
(02:03):
her kids had no idea. The trial continues today. All
the cardinals have now arrived in Rome and ready for
the papal conclave to select a new pope, a race
that's seen by experts as a wide open field. The
conclave will begin behind the closed doors of the Sistine
Chapel on Wednesday afternoon local time. All cardinals under the
age of eighty, including Australia's Mikaela Boychok, who at age
(02:26):
forty five is the youngest member of the college, are
eligible to cast a vote for who'll succeed Pope Francis,
who passed away at age eighty eight last month. Some
of the cardinals are looking for a new pope who'll
continue Francis's legacy of a more transparent and welcoming church,
while others are keen for a return to more conservative
and traditional roots. With the past two popes elected within
(02:47):
just two days of the start of the conclave, there
are reports this one may go on for much longer
due to many of the cardinals appointed by Pope frances
from other countries who've never had one before, and many
of these men have never met and don't know each
other's thoughts on the process. While no strong front runner
has been announced at this point, the two that are
being talked about the most are Italian Cardinal Pietro Parilyn
(03:09):
and Filipino Cardinal Louis Antonio Tagle. The Trump administration has
offered illegal immigrants in the US one thousand dollars to
voluntarily return to their home countries. The Department of Homeland
Security released a statement on Monday saying they would also
pay for travel assistance, and that those who use an
app called CBP home to tell the government they plan
(03:30):
to return would be deprioritized for detention and removal by
immigration enforcement. Trump made the deportation of illegal immigrants a
centerpiece of his campaign to becoming president, but mass deportations
are a costly, resource intensive endeavor, so if people deport themselves,
it would require less of those resources to hunt down
and detain them. First, members of the royal family, including
(03:53):
William and Kate, the Prince and Princess of Wales, and
their children, have joined veterans and crowds to watch a
grand military parade and a fly past at the start
of four days of celebrations to mark the eightieth anniversary
of the Victory in Europe Day the end of World
War II. The day is observed on May eight in
many countries, the day which saw Nazi Germany unconditionally surrender
(04:14):
in nineteen forty five. The UK celebrations began when the
infamous big Ben clock struck midday, actor Timothy Spaul reading
out extracts from Winston Churchill's V Day speech. The royal family,
including King Charles and Queen Camilla, stood on the balcony
of Buckingham Palace as more than thirteen hundred members of
the armed forces marched through central London, including a section
(04:36):
of Ukrainian forces carrying their blue and yellow flag, a
gesture that underlined the UK's continued support for the country
in its fight against Russian invasion. Despite being this year's
honorary chair basketball style Lebron James will not be attending
the met Gala, pulling out at the last minute due
to injury. James heard his near at the end of
the Lakers' season against the Minnesota Timberwolves, riding on social
(04:59):
media just hours before the Red carpet that due to
the injury, he won't be attending the gala and that
he hated that he was missing this historic event. He
said in his absence, his wife, who called his beautiful
powerful Queen, will be attending instead. There are in our
rumors this knee injury might be a career ending moment
for James telling reporters after the game he'll have to
discuss his retirement with his family and support group before
(05:21):
any decision is made.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
Thanks Clai.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
Next, what we now know about the murder of Audrey Griffin.
It's a story that's left Australia reeling. The murder of
nineteen year old Audrey Griffin. Audrey was walking to a
friend's house after a night out on the New South
Wales Central Coast when she was attacked and killed. Her
body was found in Arena Creek, just meet us from
(05:47):
a busy road.
Speaker 3 (05:48):
Police believe she did not know her attacker.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
After initial reports suggested a possible drowning, a major police investigation.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
Led to a breakthrough.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
DNA evidence found under Audrey's fingernails matched that of a
fifty three year old man named Adrian Torrens.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
He was arrested and.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
Charged with her murder just two days later. Torrens took
his own life in prison, meaning he'll never face a
trial and Audrey's family may never get the answers they deserve.
Here's where the story takes an even darker turn. Torrens
had a long history of violence, including several domestic violent offenses.
(06:25):
His estranged wife has since spoken out, revealing she lived
in fear for years and that she had no idea
of the full extent of his past, which raises an
important question. If we had a way to track violent
men on their past convictions, could Torrents have been stopped?
Could Audrey's death have been prevented. That's where Claire's Law
(06:46):
comes in. Officially known as the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme,
it's named after Claire Wood, who was murdered in two
thousand and nine in the UK by her ex boyfriend
with a history of violence against women. Claire's Law allows
police to disclose a person's history of domestic abuse to
potential victims. It's been adopted in parts of Australia, but
(07:06):
not nationally. The idea is simple. If you're worried about
someone's past, you can ask police for information. Police can
also warn you if they think you're at risk. Joining
us now is mammam me is Morning editor Cass Green?
Speaker 3 (07:20):
Cass?
Speaker 2 (07:21):
What do we know about Adrian Torren's past?
Speaker 4 (07:24):
So, Adrian had quite a long and violent criminal history.
At the time of Audrey's murder, he was actually serving
a community corrections order. According to sixty minutes. He'd already
breached an avio from a previous partner. He stopped in
her chest, broke her arm, threatened to kill her with
a knife. He'd also been jailed for theft, fraud, assault,
intimidation and breaching avios. So New South Wales Police Commissioner
(07:46):
Karen Webb has said his record was serious and he
probably shouldn't have been out on the streets.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
And the reason that we know quite a lot of
these details is from his estranged wife. What else has
she said about him?
Speaker 4 (07:57):
So she actually didn't know too much of his criminal
history that's come out in this sixty minutes expose, but
she did say that he had been violent towards her
and that she lived in fear of him. Yeah, she
really didn't know how serious or extensive his history was.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
Though. We've been looking at Claire's Law, which I've already
explained in the UK, a way for police to track
people with a violent past, particularly in domestic abuse situations,
and also for people to inquire about maybe the person
they're seeing or engaging with. If Claire's Law had been
passed nationally across Australia, do we think that this would
(08:32):
have made a difference in this particular case.
Speaker 4 (08:34):
I mean, it's impossible to know for sure. There's a
strong chance it could have helped, though Michelle had stopped
reporting him because she didn't think that the police were
really kind of listening to.
Speaker 3 (08:43):
What she had to say.
Speaker 4 (08:44):
So perhaps if she had a Claire's Law and she
knew his background more extensively, that might have changed her
reporting cadence. But it's really worth saying that Claire's Law
wouldn't have changed the fact that he got a slap
on the wrist for preaching that AVO. That's a different
issue entirely, And.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
As far as we're aware, police have said that it's
unlikely that Audrey and Adrian knew each other, so even so,
Audrey would never have been able to inquire about this
man in this particular inst What are some of the
arguments for and against Claire's Law. I know that we've
adopted it in a couple of states across the country,
but as we said, it's not national yet.
Speaker 4 (09:17):
So the main arguments in favor of Claire's Law is
that it gives people access to the critical information they
need to make informed decisions about their safety, and that
it encourages kind of accountability and a better database for offenders.
But there are critics of the law as well that
say it could lead to privacy breaches or give people
a bit of a false sense of security about their partners.
(09:37):
Just because they haven't done it in the past doesn't
mean they couldn't do it in future.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
Finally, Cass, we've just wrapped up the Australian federal election.
There was a big focus for our audience on domestic
violence action. There was a little chatter about it from
the Prime Minister and the Opposition leader during the campaign,
but nothing extremely concrete. That's domestic violence in this case,
this is a violent offender who attacked murdered Audrey. What
(10:02):
can be done to better protect women? Do you think
in these situations, Not necessarily in a situation where you
know the man and it's stick abuse situation, but just
in violent behavior in general.
Speaker 4 (10:14):
I think we definitely need to look at AVO breaches
more seriously. We just need to look at the news lately.
There was Claire Austin. She died in her apartment while
trying to escape a man believed to be known to her.
She was just days away from applying for an AVO
we had Mackenzie Anderson, she was stabbed seventy eight times
by a man out on parole who she also had
an AVO against. And then we have Torrance who was
(10:34):
facing eleven other unrelated domestic violence charges and breaches of AVOs.
So we need to crack down on these repeat offenders
and actually enforce the consequences of an AVO when they
are breached. They aren't just pieces of paper, and they're
kind of a woman's last line of defense.
Speaker 2 (10:53):
If you've ever wondered why the first Monday in May
matter is so much to celebrities, designers, and the pop
culture absist, it's because of the met Gala. Officially, it's
the Costume Institute benefit. Unofficially, it's where fashion, art and
pop culture collide and where a ticket will set you
back a call seventy.
Speaker 3 (11:13):
Five thousand dollars.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
This year, the gala is making history with a theme
Superfine Tailoring Black Style. It's the first time in over
two decades the focus is squarely on men'swear, and even
more significantly, on the rich history and cultural impact of
black dandyism.
Speaker 3 (11:31):
Think impeccable suits and bold.
Speaker 2 (11:33):
Patterns at a minimum. The exhibition, inspired by Monica L.
Miller's book Slaves to Fashion traces how black men and
women used fashion to navigate, challenge, and redefine social boundaries
from the eighteenth.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
Century all the way through to today.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
As for who's in charge of this fashion feast, as usual,
Vogues editor in chief and A Winter is charing the event,
but for the first time, the co chair lineup is
entirely black men. Formula one legend Lewis Hamilton Rappa ASAP,
Rocky actor Coleman Domingo, and musician Pharrell Williams. NBA icon
lebron Jay has also joined as honorary chair. Here's a
(12:13):
speed run of some of the finer details and rules.
The guest list is hand peaked by Winter or herself.
It's strictly a list designers, celebrities, athletes, and the occasional
wild card thrown in for good measure. No phones, no selfies,
and definitely no smoking inside the met The idea is
to keep the event shrouded in mystery, but that hasn't
(12:35):
stopped the odd bathroom selfie from going viral, or a
celeb lighting up when they shouldn't. However, smoking in a
stool may just be the tip of the iceberg. When
it comes to Met Gala controversies, entertainment writer Chelsea Hoy
has been tracking them all.
Speaker 3 (12:50):
ChEls, let's start with the good stuff.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
What are some of the bigger controversies from met galas
of the past.
Speaker 5 (12:56):
So, the one that instantly comes to mind is Elevator Gate,
which was jay Z and Solange having an altercation in
an elevator at the twenty fourteen Metgala. So there was
surveillance footage that was obviously leaked, and Solaune was the
same actually just lunging at jay Z while Beyonce stood
in the corner awkwardly kind of watching this altercation unfold.
They've since really sustatement obviously saying they've moved past that,
(13:18):
but to this day was still not one hundred percent
sure what happened there.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
It's like a ledge that she was going jay Z
because he cheated on beyoncey and like it's the origin
story for the Lemonade album.
Speaker 5 (13:29):
Yes, correct, and it all started at the met Gala.
Speaker 3 (13:31):
What else has happened in previous mets.
Speaker 5 (13:34):
The other one that comes to mind is that smoking
saga that happened in the bathroom.
Speaker 2 (13:37):
So okay, we known think it's a rule at the
MET you're not allowed to smoke. We've actually talked about
it a little bit already. But who are we supposed
to pinpoint blame on for that?
Speaker 5 (13:45):
It's hard to say. Kylie Jenner was obviously there. She
had taken this kind of infamous photo with Frank Ocean,
Kim Kane, a bunch of other celebs, but Dakota Johnson, Bellaha,
did Mark Jacobs. They were all actually photographed smoking at
the event. New York City health officials and MET donors
had actually spoken out after saying that they were obviously
not happy and saying that it was very disrespectful to that.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
And you're gonna break the rules, don't capture it on camera.
On the coaches are making history this year. What is
such a big deal about? Who's been chosen to chair
the MET?
Speaker 5 (14:18):
This year's MET Gala marks the first time the group
of coachairs are made up of exclusively of a cohort
of black men, which is huge. It's the kind of
first time for the MET Gala. And this is really
groundbreaking for the MET Gala, and it really kind of
complements the theme of the exhibition, which is really kind
of to highlight and spotlight black men's wear, So it
really feels like a watershed moment in fashion.
Speaker 2 (14:39):
Yeah, that theme, super fine tailoring, black style. Do you
think that we can finally expect to focus on men
on the carpet?
Speaker 3 (14:46):
I feel like most years they kind of skate by.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
Obviously there are a few choice individuals who really show
up and show out, but I think of people like
Chris Hemsworth every time I see him on the Met carpet,
I'm like, what are you doing there? Look like you're
going to a wedding in bloody semenyak, So maybe he'll
turn up this year.
Speaker 5 (15:01):
Yeah. I think we can all agree that, aside from
a few standards, they don't really show up to the
Met in their suit on and off they go. Agreed.
I'm actually really this year. I feel like it's the
first time that men's wear is really being spotlighted at
the Met Gala, and I feel like the theme kind
of leaves a lot of room for people to include
some storytelling and really have some fun with it. And
obviously we're expecting to see some impeccably tailored suits from
(15:24):
both men and women, so I'm very excited.
Speaker 2 (15:26):
The guest list is always hotly anticipated, but there are
a couple of people who are likely to not see
on the carpet today. Can you give us a bit
of a rundown about who we should or shouldn't expect
to be there.
Speaker 5 (15:36):
Yeah, there's quite a few celebs over the years who
have really come out and said that they are not attending,
they'll never attend again, and they've had some pretty negative experiences.
Gwyneth Paltrow is one. Though she's like a fashion girl herself,
she has famously said that she did not have a
good experience of the Met and she will not be
attending again. Tina Fey is another one who we won't
be expecting to see. She's called the Met gala a
(15:58):
jerk parade famously. Amy Schumer as well. I don't think
we'll be seeing Grace those Met steps either.
Speaker 2 (16:04):
I think her famous words where we are dressed up
like a bunch of arseholes?
Speaker 3 (16:07):
Yes?
Speaker 5 (16:08):
Correct?
Speaker 3 (16:08):
Correct?
Speaker 2 (16:08):
What about people like Taylor Swift? I know she's so
famous and so beloved. Would we see her at the Met?
Speaker 5 (16:14):
I mean we're hoping too. Some people have speculated that
she will announce reputation at the matkay, But.
Speaker 2 (16:21):
Knowing Taylor, I feel like I've been told that so
many times as so many different things.
Speaker 5 (16:27):
I know, I know, so, I mean, she's quite elusive,
so we don't know. But I am kind of hoping
that her and Travis Kelcey will turn up together.
Speaker 3 (16:34):
So maybe in matching suits.
Speaker 2 (16:36):
Yes, yes, the one that I love and I don't
know how she would ever top it is Lady Gaga's
extra massive performance piece. I want to call it on
the red carpet. The year that she was a chair,
there was like four different outfits and there's great videos
online of the fashion designer breaking down each element of
those outfits. She's on tour right now, though, I mean
she performed at the Coba Commander Beach recently.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
Is she going to be there?
Speaker 5 (17:00):
Knowing Gaga, I think it's likely that she'll turn up
this year, despite the scheduling and being on tour. I
feel like, I mean, it's not the Met Gala or
that Lady Gaga.
Speaker 3 (17:08):
And finally, who are you most excited to see?
Speaker 5 (17:11):
I mean, not to be basic, but Zendea. I feel
like every year I wait with baited breath to see
what she's going to turn up in and with Laura
just her stylist. I feel like they're just gonna nail
the theme this year. But this year also, I feel
like Coleman Domingo, he's a coachair, he's also just a fashionist.
I feel like whatever red carpet you see him on,
he's doing something interesting, doing something chic. So I really
(17:32):
feel like he's gonna pull out all the stops.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
Yeah, people are petitioning for Taylor Swift to announce reputation
on the met carpet. I'm petitioning for Coleman Domingo to
put me out of my personal misery and announce that
he will be the next James Bond.
Speaker 5 (17:48):
Oh my god. I love that.
Speaker 3 (17:50):
It's like the perfect theme.
Speaker 2 (17:51):
It's in suits, it's very superfly, very classy, very James
Bond esque.
Speaker 5 (17:55):
Yes, one hundred percent, and I see that.
Speaker 3 (17:57):
I think it's cross fingers crossed.
Speaker 2 (18:01):
Thanks for taking some time to feed your mind with
us today.
Speaker 3 (18:03):
The Quikie is produced by
Speaker 2 (18:04):
Me, Taylor Strano, and Clare Murphy, with audio production by
lou Hille
You're listening to a Muma Mea podcast. Mamma Mea acknowledges
the traditional owners of land and waters that this podcast
is recorded.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
On Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander. People should be aware
that this episode contains names of deceix persons. Hey, I'm
Taylor Straano. This is Mumma Mer's twice daily news podcast,
The Quickie. The murder of Audrey Griffin has shocked Australia
as more information comes to light about her killer's violent past,
(00:40):
Outrage and questions swell around how this could have been prevented.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
Plus in the US.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Right now, it's the first Monday in May, which means
it's Met Garla Day. Let's step through all the details
and controversies of Garla's gone by before we get there.
He's Claire Murphy with the latest from The Quickie newsroom
for Tuesday May six.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
Thanks Taylor. The jury in the trial of the alleged
mushroom killer Erin Patterson has been told she had a
reputation as a super sleuth amongst true crime fans on
social media. The fifty year old has pleaded not guilty
to the murder of her in laws Gaale and Don
Patterson and Gail's sister Heather, and the attempted murder of
Heather's husband, Ian, who managed to survive the lunch where
(01:21):
they were served beef Wellington allegedly laced with the deadly
death cap mushroom, Patterson claiming it was a terrible accident.
Three members of a true crime Facebook group that Patterson
is a member of gave evidence to the court, explaining
how they'd discussed the case of baby killer Kelly Lane
as well as others. They said she was well known
to be able to research and get information quickly from
(01:42):
the Internet. They also talked about Patterson's conversations about her husband,
saying she'd use the word coercive at times, and that
she claimed his family were very demanding and that she'd
struggled with those demands. She also shared with them pictures
of her new dehydrator full of mushrooms, writing that she'd
been hiding powdered mushrooms in everything, including Brownie's, and that
(02:03):
her kids had no idea. The trial continues today. All
the cardinals have now arrived in Rome and ready for
the papal conclave to select a new pope, a race
that's seen by experts as a wide open field. The
conclave will begin behind the closed doors of the Sistine
Chapel on Wednesday afternoon local time. All cardinals under the
age of eighty, including Australia's Mikaela Boychok, who at age
(02:26):
forty five is the youngest member of the college, are
eligible to cast a vote for who'll succeed Pope Francis,
who passed away at age eighty eight last month. Some
of the cardinals are looking for a new pope who'll
continue Francis's legacy of a more transparent and welcoming church,
while others are keen for a return to more conservative
and traditional roots. With the past two popes elected within
(02:47):
just two days of the start of the conclave, there
are reports this one may go on for much longer
due to many of the cardinals appointed by Pope frances
from other countries who've never had one before, and many
of these men have never met and don't know each
other's thoughts on the process. While no strong front runner
has been announced at this point, the two that are
being talked about the most are Italian Cardinal Pietro Parilyn
(03:09):
and Filipino Cardinal Louis Antonio Tagle. The Trump administration has
offered illegal immigrants in the US one thousand dollars to
voluntarily return to their home countries. The Department of Homeland
Security released a statement on Monday saying they would also
pay for travel assistance, and that those who use an
app called CBP home to tell the government they plan
(03:30):
to return would be deprioritized for detention and removal by
immigration enforcement. Trump made the deportation of illegal immigrants a
centerpiece of his campaign to becoming president, but mass deportations
are a costly, resource intensive endeavor, so if people deport themselves,
it would require less of those resources to hunt down
and detain them. First, members of the royal family, including
(03:53):
William and Kate, the Prince and Princess of Wales, and
their children, have joined veterans and crowds to watch a
grand military parade and a fly past at the start
of four days of celebrations to mark the eightieth anniversary
of the Victory in Europe Day the end of World
War II. The day is observed on May eight in
many countries, the day which saw Nazi Germany unconditionally surrender
(04:14):
in nineteen forty five. The UK celebrations began when the
infamous big Ben clock struck midday, actor Timothy Spaul reading
out extracts from Winston Churchill's V Day speech. The royal family,
including King Charles and Queen Camilla, stood on the balcony
of Buckingham Palace as more than thirteen hundred members of
the armed forces marched through central London, including a section
(04:36):
of Ukrainian forces carrying their blue and yellow flag, a
gesture that underlined the UK's continued support for the country
in its fight against Russian invasion. Despite being this year's
honorary chair basketball style Lebron James will not be attending
the met Gala, pulling out at the last minute due
to injury. James heard his near at the end of
the Lakers' season against the Minnesota Timberwolves, riding on social
(04:59):
media just hours before the Red carpet that due to
the injury, he won't be attending the gala and that
he hated that he was missing this historic event. He
said in his absence, his wife, who called his beautiful
powerful Queen, will be attending instead. There are in our
rumors this knee injury might be a career ending moment
for James telling reporters after the game he'll have to
discuss his retirement with his family and support group before
(05:21):
any decision is made.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
Thanks Clai.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
Next, what we now know about the murder of Audrey Griffin.
It's a story that's left Australia reeling. The murder of
nineteen year old Audrey Griffin. Audrey was walking to a
friend's house after a night out on the New South
Wales Central Coast when she was attacked and killed. Her
body was found in Arena Creek, just meet us from
(05:47):
a busy road.
Speaker 3 (05:48):
Police believe she did not know her attacker.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
After initial reports suggested a possible drowning, a major police investigation.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
Led to a breakthrough.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
DNA evidence found under Audrey's fingernails matched that of a
fifty three year old man named Adrian Torrens.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
He was arrested and.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
Charged with her murder just two days later. Torrens took
his own life in prison, meaning he'll never face a
trial and Audrey's family may never get the answers they deserve.
Here's where the story takes an even darker turn. Torrens
had a long history of violence, including several domestic violent offenses.
(06:25):
His estranged wife has since spoken out, revealing she lived
in fear for years and that she had no idea
of the full extent of his past, which raises an
important question. If we had a way to track violent
men on their past convictions, could Torrents have been stopped?
Could Audrey's death have been prevented. That's where Claire's Law
(06:46):
comes in. Officially known as the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme,
it's named after Claire Wood, who was murdered in two
thousand and nine in the UK by her ex boyfriend
with a history of violence against women. Claire's Law allows
police to disclose a person's history of domestic abuse to
potential victims. It's been adopted in parts of Australia, but
(07:06):
not nationally. The idea is simple. If you're worried about
someone's past, you can ask police for information. Police can
also warn you if they think you're at risk. Joining
us now is mammam me is Morning editor Cass Green?
Speaker 3 (07:20):
Cass?
Speaker 2 (07:21):
What do we know about Adrian Torren's past?
Speaker 4 (07:24):
So, Adrian had quite a long and violent criminal history.
At the time of Audrey's murder, he was actually serving
a community corrections order. According to sixty minutes. He'd already
breached an avio from a previous partner. He stopped in
her chest, broke her arm, threatened to kill her with
a knife. He'd also been jailed for theft, fraud, assault,
intimidation and breaching avios. So New South Wales Police Commissioner
(07:46):
Karen Webb has said his record was serious and he
probably shouldn't have been out on the streets.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
And the reason that we know quite a lot of
these details is from his estranged wife. What else has
she said about him?
Speaker 4 (07:57):
So she actually didn't know too much of his criminal
history that's come out in this sixty minutes expose, but
she did say that he had been violent towards her
and that she lived in fear of him. Yeah, she
really didn't know how serious or extensive his history was.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
Though. We've been looking at Claire's Law, which I've already
explained in the UK, a way for police to track
people with a violent past, particularly in domestic abuse situations,
and also for people to inquire about maybe the person
they're seeing or engaging with. If Claire's Law had been
passed nationally across Australia, do we think that this would
(08:32):
have made a difference in this particular case.
Speaker 4 (08:34):
I mean, it's impossible to know for sure. There's a
strong chance it could have helped, though Michelle had stopped
reporting him because she didn't think that the police were
really kind of listening to.
Speaker 3 (08:43):
What she had to say.
Speaker 4 (08:44):
So perhaps if she had a Claire's Law and she
knew his background more extensively, that might have changed her
reporting cadence. But it's really worth saying that Claire's Law
wouldn't have changed the fact that he got a slap
on the wrist for preaching that AVO. That's a different
issue entirely, And.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
As far as we're aware, police have said that it's
unlikely that Audrey and Adrian knew each other, so even so,
Audrey would never have been able to inquire about this
man in this particular inst What are some of the
arguments for and against Claire's Law. I know that we've
adopted it in a couple of states across the country,
but as we said, it's not national yet.
Speaker 4 (09:17):
So the main arguments in favor of Claire's Law is
that it gives people access to the critical information they
need to make informed decisions about their safety, and that
it encourages kind of accountability and a better database for offenders.
But there are critics of the law as well that
say it could lead to privacy breaches or give people
a bit of a false sense of security about their partners.
(09:37):
Just because they haven't done it in the past doesn't
mean they couldn't do it in future.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
Finally, Cass, we've just wrapped up the Australian federal election.
There was a big focus for our audience on domestic
violence action. There was a little chatter about it from
the Prime Minister and the Opposition leader during the campaign,
but nothing extremely concrete. That's domestic violence in this case,
this is a violent offender who attacked murdered Audrey. What
(10:02):
can be done to better protect women? Do you think
in these situations, Not necessarily in a situation where you
know the man and it's stick abuse situation, but just
in violent behavior in general.
Speaker 4 (10:14):
I think we definitely need to look at AVO breaches
more seriously. We just need to look at the news lately.
There was Claire Austin. She died in her apartment while
trying to escape a man believed to be known to her.
She was just days away from applying for an AVO
we had Mackenzie Anderson, she was stabbed seventy eight times
by a man out on parole who she also had
an AVO against. And then we have Torrance who was
(10:34):
facing eleven other unrelated domestic violence charges and breaches of AVOs.
So we need to crack down on these repeat offenders
and actually enforce the consequences of an AVO when they
are breached. They aren't just pieces of paper, and they're
kind of a woman's last line of defense.
Speaker 2 (10:53):
If you've ever wondered why the first Monday in May
matter is so much to celebrities, designers, and the pop
culture absist, it's because of the met Gala. Officially, it's
the Costume Institute benefit. Unofficially, it's where fashion, art and
pop culture collide and where a ticket will set you
back a call seventy.
Speaker 3 (11:13):
Five thousand dollars.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
This year, the gala is making history with a theme
Superfine Tailoring Black Style. It's the first time in over
two decades the focus is squarely on men'swear, and even
more significantly, on the rich history and cultural impact of
black dandyism.
Speaker 3 (11:31):
Think impeccable suits and bold.
Speaker 2 (11:33):
Patterns at a minimum. The exhibition, inspired by Monica L.
Miller's book Slaves to Fashion traces how black men and
women used fashion to navigate, challenge, and redefine social boundaries
from the eighteenth.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
Century all the way through to today.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
As for who's in charge of this fashion feast, as usual,
Vogues editor in chief and A Winter is charing the event,
but for the first time, the co chair lineup is
entirely black men. Formula one legend Lewis Hamilton Rappa ASAP,
Rocky actor Coleman Domingo, and musician Pharrell Williams. NBA icon
lebron Jay has also joined as honorary chair. Here's a
(12:13):
speed run of some of the finer details and rules.
The guest list is hand peaked by Winter or herself.
It's strictly a list designers, celebrities, athletes, and the occasional
wild card thrown in for good measure. No phones, no selfies,
and definitely no smoking inside the met The idea is
to keep the event shrouded in mystery, but that hasn't
(12:35):
stopped the odd bathroom selfie from going viral, or a
celeb lighting up when they shouldn't. However, smoking in a
stool may just be the tip of the iceberg. When
it comes to Met Gala controversies, entertainment writer Chelsea Hoy
has been tracking them all.
Speaker 3 (12:50):
ChEls, let's start with the good stuff.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
What are some of the bigger controversies from met galas
of the past.
Speaker 5 (12:56):
So, the one that instantly comes to mind is Elevator Gate,
which was jay Z and Solange having an altercation in
an elevator at the twenty fourteen Metgala. So there was
surveillance footage that was obviously leaked, and Solaune was the
same actually just lunging at jay Z while Beyonce stood
in the corner awkwardly kind of watching this altercation unfold.
They've since really sustatement obviously saying they've moved past that,
(13:18):
but to this day was still not one hundred percent
sure what happened there.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
It's like a ledge that she was going jay Z
because he cheated on beyoncey and like it's the origin
story for the Lemonade album.
Speaker 5 (13:29):
Yes, correct, and it all started at the met Gala.
Speaker 3 (13:31):
What else has happened in previous mets.
Speaker 5 (13:34):
The other one that comes to mind is that smoking
saga that happened in the bathroom.
Speaker 2 (13:37):
So okay, we known think it's a rule at the
MET you're not allowed to smoke. We've actually talked about
it a little bit already. But who are we supposed
to pinpoint blame on for that?
Speaker 5 (13:45):
It's hard to say. Kylie Jenner was obviously there. She
had taken this kind of infamous photo with Frank Ocean,
Kim Kane, a bunch of other celebs, but Dakota Johnson, Bellaha,
did Mark Jacobs. They were all actually photographed smoking at
the event. New York City health officials and MET donors
had actually spoken out after saying that they were obviously
not happy and saying that it was very disrespectful to that.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
And you're gonna break the rules, don't capture it on camera.
On the coaches are making history this year. What is
such a big deal about? Who's been chosen to chair
the MET?
Speaker 5 (14:18):
This year's MET Gala marks the first time the group
of coachairs are made up of exclusively of a cohort
of black men, which is huge. It's the kind of
first time for the MET Gala. And this is really
groundbreaking for the MET Gala, and it really kind of
complements the theme of the exhibition, which is really kind
of to highlight and spotlight black men's wear, So it
really feels like a watershed moment in fashion.
Speaker 2 (14:39):
Yeah, that theme, super fine tailoring, black style. Do you
think that we can finally expect to focus on men
on the carpet?
Speaker 3 (14:46):
I feel like most years they kind of skate by.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
Obviously there are a few choice individuals who really show
up and show out, but I think of people like
Chris Hemsworth every time I see him on the Met carpet,
I'm like, what are you doing there? Look like you're
going to a wedding in bloody semenyak, So maybe he'll
turn up this year.
Speaker 5 (15:01):
Yeah. I think we can all agree that, aside from
a few standards, they don't really show up to the
Met in their suit on and off they go. Agreed.
I'm actually really this year. I feel like it's the
first time that men's wear is really being spotlighted at
the Met Gala, and I feel like the theme kind
of leaves a lot of room for people to include
some storytelling and really have some fun with it. And
obviously we're expecting to see some impeccably tailored suits from
(15:24):
both men and women, so I'm very excited.
Speaker 2 (15:26):
The guest list is always hotly anticipated, but there are
a couple of people who are likely to not see
on the carpet today. Can you give us a bit
of a rundown about who we should or shouldn't expect
to be there.
Speaker 5 (15:36):
Yeah, there's quite a few celebs over the years who
have really come out and said that they are not attending,
they'll never attend again, and they've had some pretty negative experiences.
Gwyneth Paltrow is one. Though she's like a fashion girl herself,
she has famously said that she did not have a
good experience of the Met and she will not be
attending again. Tina Fey is another one who we won't
be expecting to see. She's called the Met gala a
(15:58):
jerk parade famously. Amy Schumer as well. I don't think
we'll be seeing Grace those Met steps either.
Speaker 2 (16:04):
I think her famous words where we are dressed up
like a bunch of arseholes?
Speaker 3 (16:07):
Yes?
Speaker 5 (16:08):
Correct?
Speaker 3 (16:08):
Correct?
Speaker 2 (16:08):
What about people like Taylor Swift? I know she's so
famous and so beloved. Would we see her at the Met?
Speaker 5 (16:14):
I mean we're hoping too. Some people have speculated that
she will announce reputation at the matkay, But.
Speaker 2 (16:21):
Knowing Taylor, I feel like I've been told that so
many times as so many different things.
Speaker 5 (16:27):
I know, I know, so, I mean, she's quite elusive,
so we don't know. But I am kind of hoping
that her and Travis Kelcey will turn up together.
Speaker 3 (16:34):
So maybe in matching suits.
Speaker 2 (16:36):
Yes, yes, the one that I love and I don't
know how she would ever top it is Lady Gaga's
extra massive performance piece. I want to call it on
the red carpet. The year that she was a chair,
there was like four different outfits and there's great videos
online of the fashion designer breaking down each element of
those outfits. She's on tour right now, though, I mean
she performed at the Coba Commander Beach recently.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
Is she going to be there?
Speaker 5 (17:00):
Knowing Gaga, I think it's likely that she'll turn up
this year, despite the scheduling and being on tour. I
feel like, I mean, it's not the Met Gala or
that Lady Gaga.
Speaker 3 (17:08):
And finally, who are you most excited to see?
Speaker 5 (17:11):
I mean, not to be basic, but Zendea. I feel
like every year I wait with baited breath to see
what she's going to turn up in and with Laura
just her stylist. I feel like they're just gonna nail
the theme this year. But this year also, I feel
like Coleman Domingo, he's a coachair, he's also just a fashionist.
I feel like whatever red carpet you see him on,
he's doing something interesting, doing something chic. So I really
(17:32):
feel like he's gonna pull out all the stops.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
Yeah, people are petitioning for Taylor Swift to announce reputation
on the met carpet. I'm petitioning for Coleman Domingo to
put me out of my personal misery and announce that
he will be the next James Bond.
Speaker 5 (17:48):
Oh my god. I love that.
Speaker 3 (17:50):
It's like the perfect theme.
Speaker 2 (17:51):
It's in suits, it's very superfly, very classy, very James
Bond esque.
Speaker 5 (17:55):
Yes, one hundred percent, and I see that.
Speaker 3 (17:57):
I think it's cross fingers crossed.
Speaker 2 (18:01):
Thanks for taking some time to feed your mind with
us today.
Speaker 3 (18:03):
The Quikie is produced by
Speaker 2 (18:04):
Me, Taylor Strano, and Clare Murphy, with audio production by
lou Hille
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