Sydney beheading accused Jessica Camilleri fit to stand trial

A woman accused of cutting off her mother’s head and dropping it in a neighbour’s front yard in Sydney’s west has been ruled fit to stand trial for the gruesome incident, a court has been told.

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A young Sydney woman who allegedly cut off her mother’s head is fit to stand trial over the gruesome incident, a court has been told.

Jessica Camilleri appeared via audio-visual link in the Supreme Court on Friday seven months after she allegedly decapitated her mother Rita with kitchen knives in their St Clair home.

The court heard the 25-year-old’s case was moved up from the Local Court to the Supreme Court because it was unclear if she was mentally fit to be tried.

Jessica Camilleri, 25, who police allege used several knives to decapitate her mother Rita Camilleri, 57, in St Clair.

But defence barrister Nathan Steel told the court that a medical professional had recently determined she was fit to stand trial.

“An issue of fitness was raised in the Local Court, hence the matter has been committed up to the Supreme Court,” he said.

“Since that was raised, we have received a report from Professor Greenberg … he’s of the view that Ms Camilleri is fit to stand trial.

“(We’ve) had a number of conferences with Ms Camilleri and we are also of the view that she is fit to stand trial as well.

“We previously had her assessed by a psychiatrist, who saw her in early November, and at that time (when) she prepared a report she found she was unfit to stand trial.

“This is a matter where we're not sure if a fitness inquiry will need to be held.”

Jessica allegedly decapitated her mother Rita Camilleri (pictured) with kitchen knives at their St Clair home.

Justice Elizabeth Fullerton said she hoped Ms Camilleri’s fitness would be clarified within a month so it could be decided “whether it will be trial on all issues or on a more confined issue such as Ms Camilleri’s mental health at the time of the alleged offending”.

“I’m keen to get this matter listed this year and sometime over the next (few) months because there is judge time available,” she said.

The case was stood over to June 5 so it could be determined if an inquiry into Ms Camilleri’s mental fitness would need to be held. She is yet to enter a plea over the incident.

Police at the scene where Rita Camilleria was allegedly murdered. Her head was found on the footpath outside the house. Picture Steve Tyson / TNV

In an earlier court appearance, Camilleri broke down in tears and spoke frequently before a magistrate advised her to be quiet.

But in court on Friday she was calm and alone after having had minders sit with her in other appearances.

NSW Police Sergeant Paul Farrow previously told a court that officers could not take samples of Camilleri’s fingerprints because the injuries on her hands were so severe on the night of the alleged murder last July.

Police allege Camilleri killed her 57-year-old mother in the kitchen area of their house before calling triple-0 and telling authorities what she had allegedly done.

It is alleged she then went outside and dropped Rita’s head in a neighbour’s front yard before police arrived on scene and later charged her with murder.