A wheelchair-bound man stabbed his friend to death in a drug-fueled rampage at his home west of Melbourne, a court has ruled. Mark Graham Ludbrook, 54, received a 19-year prison sentence with a 14-year non-parole period for murdering Autumn Baker on August 3, 2023. He has already served 678 days in custody.
The Bizarre Drug-Induced Meltdown
Ludbrook’s erratic behavior escalated after consuming a double dose of PCE, an illegal ketamine-like substance, at his Hoppers Crossing residence. Justice James Gorton detailed the events during sentencing in the Supreme Court of Victoria.
The court learned that Ludbrook told his carer he needed to have sex with her “to save the animals,” which she rejected. He then removed his pants, stood at the end of the bed, and requested high fives or a “high tenner,” shouting “Hallelujah” upon contact.
In another disturbing incident, witnesses observed Ludbrook spitting on banknotes—including $50 notes—and smearing them over his naked body while proclaiming he would “save 10,000 souls.” He wandered into the backyard, conversing with a daisy bush, and rambled like a “vibrant, expressive game show host” about rescuing animals, thanking colors, and referencing paintings of himself and his ex-partner.
The Fatal Attack on Autumn Baker
Autumn Baker, 40, from Darley—about 60km northwest of Melbourne—arrived at the house out of concern for her friend Ludbrook. Despite his rare neurological condition, Transverse Myelitis, which typically confined him to a wheelchair, he was mobile that day.
Naked and armed with a steak knife from the kitchen, Ludbrook first stabbed himself in the abdomen before turning on the unarmed mother-of-two. He inflicted repeated stab wounds to her chest, face, and around her eyes. Baker suffered defensive cuts on her hands as she fought for her life but succumbed on the bedroom floor.
During the assault, Ludbrook blamed his carer, yelling, “Now you can be clean” and “Why won’t you sleep with me, see what you’ve done?”
Sentencing and Mitigating Factors
A jury found Ludbrook guilty in February following a hung jury in his first trial. Justice Gorton acknowledged that the PCE ingestion severely impaired Ludbrook’s moral reasoning and ability to distinguish right from wrong, moderating his culpability.
“In the unusual circumstances of this case, the fact that as a result of your ingestion of PCE, your actions took place at a time when you had little ability to tell right from wrong significantly moderates your moral culpability for this crime,” the judge stated. “Your capacity for moral reasoning was severely impaired.”
Victim’s Background
Baker gained attention during Victoria’s strict COVID-19 lockdowns for protesting mandatory vaccinations. She joined rallies across the state, including one on January 15, 2022, supporting tennis star Novak Djokovic’s deportation battle. There, she led chants like “The people united will never be defeated,” “Hey Pfizer leave our kids alone,” “Hands off our kids they are not your Guinea Pigs,” “Free Victoria,” and “No more vax pass.”
Her body was discovered inside a house on Grevillea Crescent in Hoppers Crossing. Despite the violence, court records show Baker had shown compassion toward Ludbrook right up to the attack.
