A man accused of murdering a much-loved English teacher before her body was found at a tip in Melbourne’s north has faced court.
Stephen Fleming, 45, appeared in Melbourne Magistrates Court on Wednesday wearing a blue jumper, with the majority of his head shaved and some hair remaining at the back.
Prosecutor Connor Rattray said his office needed 20 weeks to allow for multiple crime scenes to be recreated and forensics details to be gathered.
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Magistrate Louise Wildberger granted the prosecution the time to gather the evidence, with a brief in the case expected to be handed up on November 27.
The magistrate remanded Fleming in custody and listed his committal mention for January 8, 2025.
His lawyer Jessica Clarebrough said her client had no custody management issues.
Fleming looked at the bar table and said “thank you” with a nod before he left the court with custodial officers.
The 45-year-old, who police have alleged was known to the victim, was arrested and questioned by detectives throughout Tuesday before he was charged with murder in the evening.
Workers found the body of Annette Brennan, 67, while moving green waste at a facility in Epping on July 3 but investigators believed her body was originally inside a domestic bin picked up outside a property in a nearby suburb the previous day.
They identified the address as Hilgay Street in Coolaroo, which has rubbish collected each Tuesday.
Brennan’s students gathered yesterday to pay tribute to her following the shock discovery.
“She was amazing, I’m really shocked,” former student Simona Croce told 9News.
“She was beautiful, loving and a kind woman.”
Brennan had moved into her Hilgay Street home just two months ago, telling neighbours she was looking for a housemate.
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