Stephen ‘Stocky’ Stockwell doesn’t have a background in law or court reporting, and he sees that as a strength.
“I’m not a court reporter by trade,” he told Mediaweek. “I am a podcast host and journalist, but my role is sort of an audience proxy. So I’m asking the questions that most of us are hopefully kind of thinking.”
That approach paid off.
Following the success of Mushroom Case Daily, the ABC’s breakout true crime podcast chronicling the trial of Erin Patterson, the national broadcaster has brought Stockwell and the team back for a new title: The Case Of.
The twice-weekly series is focused on in-depth reporting from inside some of Australia’s most high-profile trials.
The first case being covered is that of Outback Wrangler star Matt Wright, who is currently facing charges in the Northern Territory’s Supreme Court.
Outback Wrangler star Matt Wright, who is currently facing charges in the Northern Territory’s Supreme Court.
Familiar team, fresh format
Stockwell co-hosted Mushroom Case Daily alongside journalists Rachael Brown and Kristian Silva. The show peaked at #3 on the Triton Podcast Ranker in June with 670,856 monthly listeners and has since drawn more than 11 million total downloads.
The new podcast The Case Of builds on that momentum, tapping into the same team’s dynamic while shifting the release schedule and scope.
Each episode will feature Stockwell alongside reporters Olivana Smith-Lathouris and Matthew Garrick, providing analysis and insight into the trial. Episodes are released every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon.
“We’re really led by what’s happening in the courtroom,” Stockwell said. “That’s when we can share those lighter moments.”
The team is again working collaboratively, with Smith-Lathouris filing from inside the Darwin courtroom and Stockwell anchoring the podcast to help unpack the legal drama for listeners.
“You know, there’s really strict rules around what we can and can’t say,” he said.
“And Olivana has been able to bring this wonderful insight into kind of some of the people and some of the lighter moments in the courtroom as well, which is really valuable, you know, with me not being in the room to kind of observe some of that, for her to be able to bring that helps to really take us into that room in Darwin.”
Walking the line between clarity and care
While some moments inside the courtroom may veer into the absurd, including the use of a tissue box to illustrate a helicopter’s flight metres, the backdrop to the Wright case is anything but light.
“I mean, you know, the trial that we’re following is a really tragic story,” Stockwell said. “You know, this is a young father, you know, a crocodile egg collector lost his life in a helicopter crash. You’ve got the pilot of that, you know, paralysed with a brain injury. You know, it’s really, really heavy background to it.”
Olivana Smith-Lathouris
Stockwell credited Smith-Lathouris with striking the right tone.
“I mean, that’s the thing that, you know, I keep in the forefront of my mind and that Olivana has been, you know, really, you know, really she’s done a wonderful job of making sure that that is at the front of each episode as we’re talking through this as well.”
At the same time, The Case Of doesn’t shy away from the sometimes strange or disarming realities of courtroom life, which is part of what keeps listeners engaged.
“There’s interesting moments of light and shade,” Stockwell said.
“And, you know, the start of the trial of Matt Wright has been, you know, very emotionally heavy and, you know, there’s been a lot of very tragic conversations. But, you know, as that trial goes on, there may be lighter moments. And when those lighter moments come up, you know, we’re giving people an insight into the courtroom, we’re taking them into that room. And so sharing those lighter moments is part of that experience.”
New trials, same storytelling rigour
As the legal calendar unfolds across the country, The Case Of aims to remain agile, jumping between cases and jurisdictions while offering clear, responsible, and engaging reporting to a national audience.
Whether it’s mushroom poisonings in Victoria or helicopter crashes in the Top End, the team’s lens remains focused on making the courtroom accessible.
“I’m asking the questions that most of us are hopefully kind of thinking,” Stockwell said.
“That’s the role.”