Teen accused of killing comedian fronts court
A TEENAGER accused of killing Melbourne comedian Eurydice Dixon has faced court where his taxpayer-funded lawyer tried to have his identity suppressed.
Law & Order
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JAYMES Todd nodded at the magistrate as custody officers ushered him into the courtroom to face the most serious of charges: murder and rape.
The 19-year-old, of small but stocky stature, had never been in custody, his lawyer told the court. In fact, he had no criminal history.
But the teenager was on medication for an autism spectrum disorder.
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Legal aid lawyer John Riordan, for Mr Todd, told the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court his family had described him as “socially regressive”.
“He struggles in certain social environments,” he said.
Mr Todd, wearing jeans and a striped button-up collared shirt, shut his eyes during most of the hearing.
Hours earlier, he had surrendered himself at Broadmeadows police station, after his image was released by detectives investigating the death of young comedian Eurydice Dixon.
Mr Todd, of Broadmeadows, is accused of raping Ms Dixon, then murdering her, as she walked home through Princes Park, North Carlton, between 10.30pm on Tuesday and 3am on Wednesday.
Little emerged at the brief administrative hearing, held to set out future dates for the case, about Mr Todd or about Ms Dixon’s final moments.
Mr Riordan argued that the media should be banned from publishing his client’s identity.
Making Mr Todd’s identity public could jeopardise the police investigation, as detectives were still taking witness statements, he argued.
“(There is) real potential the release of his name will affect the reliability of those witnesses,” Mr Riordan said.
But the Herald Sun successfully resisted the application of the gag order.
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The magistrate, Andrew McKenna, ruled that only publication of images of Mr Todd’s face was capable of posing a substantial risk of prejudice to the proper administration of justice.
An order suppressing publication of such images was made, and remains in place until Mr Todd’s next court appearance in October.
Mr Riordan also told Mr McKenna that his client would remain “vulnerable” while he was being held in custody on remand.
He was taking medication, was of a young age and had no criminal history.
The court heard that it was likely that Mr Todd would be placed in protective custody while he was on remand, in order to keep him safe.
Mr Todd is due to appear back in the Magistrates’ Court on October 3.