A man accused of murdering a beloved English teacher and dumping her body in a dumpster has appeared in court, but there is still mystery surrounding how the two met.
Stephen Fleming, 45, of Coolaroo, appeared in Melbourne Magistrates Court on Wednesday charged with the murder of 67-year-old Annette Brennan.
Ms Brennan was found dead at a rubbish tip in Epping last week, about 8km from her home in Coolaroo, north-west of Melbourne.
Dressed in green and sporting a mid-length haircut, the suspected killer sat calmly in the dock behind protective glass during the brief arraignment hearing.
The court heard it would take Victorian detectives 20 weeks to prepare their brief of evidence against Fleming.
A prosecutor told magistrate Louise Wildberger that police needed to analyse and recreate multiple crime scenes and collect forensic evidence from computers and other technology linked to the alleged crime.
Fleming’s attorney told the court his client had no custody management issues that needed attention while he awaited his next court date in January next year.
It is understood that no member of Ms Brennan’s or the defendant’s family attended the hearing.
Annette Brennan, 67, was found dead at a rubbish tip in Epping last week, about 8 kilometres from her home in Coolaroo.
Steven Fleming appeared in court on Wednesday
Detectives had attacked Fleming in Glenroy, in Melbournenorthwest, around 11.15am on Tuesday.
They believe Miss Brennan’s remains were placed inside a container that was collected from her home in Hilgay Street. by a garbage truck last Tuesday.
Staff at a nearby landfill in Epping found her body while clearing green waste last Wednesday and contacted police.
A police spokesman said Ms Brennan had known as his alleged murderer.
Although police declined to reveal how the two knew each other, they told reporters that she is not Fleming’s mother.
One of Ms Brennan’s former students, Simona Croce, told 9News the teacher was a “beautiful, caring and kind woman”.
“She was amazing, I’m really surprised,” she added, calling her a “second mom.”
“No one deserves to be treated this way, no one,” he said.
Police are continuing to conduct a major investigation in the Coolaroo area seeking CCTV footage.
Police visited Coolaroo’s home on Monday, where an officer was seen locking up the house.
Detectives are also interested in speaking to anyone who may have witnessed any suspicious activity in the area at the time.
The arrest follows swift investigative work that allowed police to trace the route of the woman’s body from the landfill to her property in Coolaroo.
On Saturday, police were seen collecting plant and shrub debris from nearby properties, believed to match those found at the landfill.
Police also searched another brick house about 100 metres down the street, using a locksmith to gain entry. the property around 1pm.
Detectives are understood to have been keen to check CCTV footage from the house, which could provide vital evidence in the ongoing investigation.
CCTV cameras are not widely used in the largely government-inhabited area, and police have again appealed to the public to come forward with any possible footage.
Police are particularly interested in speaking to anyone who may have CCTV or dashcam footage captured between Sunday 23 June and Tuesday 2 July.
Police at Coolaroo’s home on Saturday
Police were able to match leaf clippings found at the landfill to those found near the woman’s property.
On Monday, a lone detective was seen entering the house through the front door.
He was seen closing an open window at the front of the house before leaving about 10 minutes later.
Apart from teams of media representatives, no one was seen visiting the property on Monday.
Nor did anyone come to lay floral offerings, something that has become common in other similar tragedies.
A neighbour told Daily Mail Australia the neighbourhood was left in shock following the alleged murder.
“We’ve never seen anything like this here. It’s horrible,” the man said.
Other nNeighbors said the woman who lived in the house was quiet, but friendly.
Although she was not known to drive a car, neighbors had observed a car parked in the driveway, being used by a man.
A neighbor said he saw a man removing trash containers from the property in the days leading up to the discovery.
Chaithanya ‘Swetha’ Madhagani’s body was found in a garbage container in March
The scene outside Coolaroo’s home on Monday was a far cry from the community’s response to the death of Chaithanya ‘Swetha’ Madhagani.
Ms Madhagani’s body had also been stuffed into a rubbish bin found on Mount Pollock Road in Buckley, west of Geelong, on March 8.
Her death sparked an outpouring of emotion in the community, with friends gathering to honour her at Point Cook, where she lived.
Ms Brennan is believed to be the 48th woman to be murdered in Australia this year.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or visit www.crimestoppersvic.com.au
