Carnes Hill death: Bradley Hughes charged after body found on Cowpasture, Kurrajong Rd property

A body has been found near a home in Sydney’s southwest after a fire broke out. A man, charged with improperly interfering with a corpse, has appeared in court.

A man charged after a body was found following a fire on a rural property in Sydney’s southwest has appeared in court.

Emergency services rushed to reports of a grass fire on a property near the corner of Cowpasture and Kurrajong Rd, Carnes Hill about 12.10pm on Monday. Not long after the blaze was extinguished by Fire and Rescue NSW officers, a body was located near a home on the property.

Officers from Liverpool City Police Area Command attended and established a crime scene. Bradley Hughes, aged 47, of Horningsea Park, was located nearby a short time later and arrested.

He was taken to Liverpool police station where he was charged with improperly interfere with a corpse, break and enter with intent to commit serious indictable offence, and remain in building with intent to commit a serious indictable offence.

Police will allege Hughes broke into the property on 305 Cowpasture Rd, opposite the Hoxton Park Anglican Church, as well as interfere with the dead body later found at the address.

The property where the body was found. Picture: Alexi Demetriadi

Emergency services extinguished a blaze on Monday.

The property belonged to Valentino Speranza, who neighbours described as elderly and “a recluse”. The identity of the body found at the address has not been formally identified.

“He was an old man who had lived there for ages, a bit of a recluse,” one neighbour, who did not give her name, said of the property owner.

Police officers at the scene. Picture: Alexi Demetriadi

“He didn’t bother us, we didn’t bother him — he just kept to himself. I wouldn’t know him if he stood next to us.

“He used to have a cow and we’d see him from afar. But since the cow died, we’d only ever see him leave the house a few steps.”

Police were at the scene across the morning.

At Liverpool Local Court on Tuesday, Hughes appeared in person and was represented by high-profile lawyer Paul McGirr.

The court heard Hughes had a “history of mental health issues and schizophrenia”. Under provisions of the Mental Health Act, an application was granted for the 47-year-old to be taken to hospital and assessed.

Mr McGirr told NewsLocal the incident was still in the preliminary investigation stage and noted his client wasn’t charged with murder.

“It’s a mental health issue and there’ll be no pleas entered at this stage,” he said.

Forensic tests would be carried out to ascertain the time of death for the body who was found in the burnt house, Mr McGirr said.

“The live issue is when the person found in the building was actually deceased,” he said.

Hughes’ matter will return to court today for a mention on the forensic tests.

The body is yet to be formally identified. Investigations into the incident continue.