A former kickboxer has been charged with murder over the death of his partner whose body was found in a hotel room in Sydney’s west.
Darren John Berry, 53, was formally charged Tuesday during a hospital hearing, where he was denied bail He will appear at Penrith Local Court on Wednesday.
Berry, who fought in MMA under the nickname Hacksaw, was found with serious cuts to his arms in a room at the Pullman Hotel in Penrith about 1.10pm on Sunday after police were called to the five-star venue in amidst reports of a disturbance. .
The body of Shirley So, a 50-year-old mother of two, was found in the same room with multiple stab wounds.
Berry was treated at the scene by paramedics before being flown to Westmead Hospital in a critical condition, where he remains under police guard.
On Monday, New South Wales police asked the local court to conduct a forensic procedure against Berry, which was granted.
Berry, a father and security guard originally from western Sydney, is a former wrestler who competed in the 1990s and early 2000s under the nickname ‘Hacksaw’.
On Facebook, he follows many MMA, Muay Thai, and UFC pages and frequently shares anti-vaccine posts.
Darren John Berry, 53, has been charged with the alleged murder of his partner found dead in a hotel room
Online posts suggest Berry frequented the city’s eastern suburbs, where Ms So is believed to have resided.
It is understood Mr Berry and Ms So had only started dating in recent months.
Homicide detectives have launched an investigation into the moments leading up to Ms. So’s death.
Meanwhile, her devastated loved ones have flocked to the internet to remember Ms So as a “beautiful” person.
“(She was) a dear friend of mine, as well as a mother, sister, aunt, daughter and a beautiful human being,” one friend wrote online.
Berry is known as ‘Hacksaw’ from his days as a kickboxer.
Emergency services were called to the Pullman Hotel on Mulgoa Road at around 1.10pm after Ms So’s body was discovered.
Ms So’s devastated family and friends told Nine News they are still struggling to process what happened and are heartbroken that Shirley will never return home.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers.
