Fears pool cleaner will ‘interfere’ with missing woman’s body, court told

A missing woman was allegedly murdered by her boyfriend, and police believe a pool cleaner may know where her body is hidden, a court has been told.

A gambling-addicted pool cleaner should not be granted bail because he could interfere with an allegedly murdered woman’s body, a court has been told.

Oscar Newman, accused of helping a friend cover up a murder scene, applied for bail in the Supreme Court of Victoria on Wednesday after his bid was rejected in the lower Magistrates Court. He is charged with assisting an offender.

Police allege Mr Newman helped Toby Loughnane, charged with murder, clean up after Mr Loughnane allegedly killed his girlfriend Maryam Hamka.

Ms Hamka has been missing without a trace for months and is presumed dead.

Victoria Police Detective Senior Constable Jason Stewart told the court there was a “high probability” Mr Newman knew where Ms Hamka’s body was hidden.

There is a ‘high probability’ Oscar Newman knows the location of a murdered woman’s body, a court has been told. Picture: 7 news

Maryam Hamka has been missing since April and police allege she was murdered by her boyfriend. Picture: Instagram

“He would have access to it if he chose,” Constable Stewart said.

The court was told that police were also concerned Mr Newman could contact a witness, a woman who allegedly picked up a steam cleaner ordered online on his behalf.

The witness allegedly told the seller she was picking up the steam cleaner because “my friend’s in a bad way”.

Mr Newman was a problem gambler “far beyond his means” who could commit further crimes, Constable Stewart said.

Police allege Mr Loughnane killed Ms Hamka at his Brighton home about 4am on April 11 after an argument overheard by others.

Toby Loughnane is charged with murder.

Police continue to investigate Maryam Hamka’s alleged murder. Picture: Supplied

Mr Newman was captured on CCTV visiting the Welsh St home on April 12 despite telling police he was working that day, the court was told.

Ms Hamka’s blood was in a car he was renting, the court was told.

Mr Newman’s lawyer Greg Melik said months had passed between Mr Newman first providing a statement to police in May and his arrest in September.

“If a body hasn’t been found to date, and he hasn’t interfered with the body, why would he take the risk of going anywhere near it, even if he did know where it was?” he said.

He said Mr Newman had no criminal record, was seeking treatment for problem gambling, and it was “tenuous speculation” to say gambling could lead him to commit crimes.

“He’s always seemed to have been able to pay his gambling debts and raise the money,” he said.

He said Mr Newman would live with his mother, who had put up a $50,000 surety, if granted bail.

Justice Richard Niall will decide the bail application at a later date.

Originally published as Fears pool cleaner will ‘interfere’ with missing woman’s body, court told