The boyfriend of a woman whose body was found by her family during a welfare check has not appeared in court after being charged with her murder.
Nikkita Azzopardi, 35, was found dead on Monday inside a South Morang home in Melbourne’s northeast after her father and brothers were unable to contact her.
On Wednesday, her alleged killer, Joel Micallef, 33, was due to appear in the Melbourne Magistrates Court for a brief presentation hearing.
But the court heard Micallef was unable to appear because he was in hospital.
It is still unclear why the alleged killer was hospitalized, and his lawyer told the court his client was suffering from “health complications.”
A brief of evidence collected by police against Micallef will be delivered to court on January 22, and the alleged killer is expected to appear in court in March.
No information about how detectives presented their case against Micallef was relayed in court. The court heard that Micallef’s time in prison was the first in his life.
Her alleged victim was found by her two brothers and her father after they headed to her house when she didn’t show up for a family barbecue the night before.
Azzopardi’s family went looking for her after she didn’t show up to a family barbecue and didn’t respond to calls.
It is alleged that they confronted Micallef there after he had blocked a door.
Shaun, Azzopardi’s older brother, burst through the door and found her body.
Micallef, Azzopardi’s boyfriend of two years, was arrested at the scene and taken to hospital where he underwent medical evaluations.
Police interviewed Micallef throughout Monday and charged him with one count of murder on Tuesday afternoon.
Shaun described Ms. Azzopardi as a gentle soul who would help anyone.
“He would do anything for anyone…he didn’t see the bad in people and he always saw the good,” Azzopardi said.
Joel Micallef (right) has been charged with murder following the discovery of the body of his two-year-old girlfriend (left)
Police slapped Micallef with the charge following his arrest on Monday.
Police are understood to be investigating the nature of the relationship and the living conditions of Micallef and Azzopardi.
On Monday, detectives were seen carrying items, including a safe, from the Reid Street home, as specialists worked to determine how and when the 35-year-old was murdered.
Shaun Azzopardi arrived with family members in the afternoon to collect Mrs. Azzopardi’s car and belongings.
On Monday, he told reporters that he had tried to contact his sister by phone.
Azzopardi took his father and brother to the house to look for his sister, but said they found the doors allegedly blocked by chairs.
He described his sister as a “kind soul.”
“You think it won’t happen to you, your sister, your brother, but I won’t see my sister again.”
The last time she saw her sister alive was 10 days earlier, at her son’s 15th birthday, which she hosted at a go-karting venue.
Investigators were seen removing a safe from the home as detectives continued their work Tuesday.
Detectives worked at the property for two days to investigate Azzopardi’s death.
Shaun Azzopardi said his sister’s death “doesn’t seem real” as he tries to stay strong for his distraught family.
“In hindsight, if you knew it was the last time, you would be doing more, you would be asking more, you would be taking pictures,” he said.
“I don’t know my father’s status, my mother’s status, my brother’s status. How do you get over this, how do you get over it?”
Azzopardi said “it doesn’t seem real.” I’m trying to stay strong.’
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