Courtney Herron’s family pays respects after homeless man fronts court charged with murder
The devastated mother of slain Melbourne woman Courtney Herron has wept alongside grieving relatives at the spot where her body was found, as the man charged with her murder briefly faced court.
VIC News
Don't miss out on the headlines from VIC News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Devastated relatives of slain Melbourne woman Courtney Herron wept and comforted each other in a heart-wrenching visit to the spot in Royal Park where her battered body was found.
Soon after homeless man Henry Hammond appeared briefly in court charged with the brutal bashing murder, six people including her mother, grandmother and uncle, brought flowers and cried as they stood near the logs where her body was found around 12.15pm on Saturday.
Her mother laid pink roses at the scene and held the logs as she wept.
Her grandmother laid white roses on the ground.
She held her hands in the air and cried.
The women comforted each other.
There will be a vigil to remember the life of Courtney, who was just 25, at the park on Friday.
They held their heads in their hands.
Another woman placed a mixed bouquet near the logs, while another had a yellow bunch.
They spent around five minutes in the cold field.
Organisers of Friday’s vigil have been in contact with her family, who approved the event.
It will start at 5pm and finish at 6pm.
“We will say her name,” event organisers said.
“We will bear witness to her life.
“We will condemn the senseless murder that stole her from her loved ones.”
More bunches of flowers were laid this morning at the site where Ms Herron was killed at the weekend.
Strangers moved by the horrendous tragedy welcomed news her alleged killer had fronted court.
“We came down because we’re staying across the road and heard all the commotion on Saturday,” a man visiting from Sydney told the Herald Sun.
“It’s just so sad.”
Earlier, Henry Hammond, 27, appeared briefly at the Melbourne Magistrates Court today after being charged with Ms Herron’s murder overnight.
He was arrested late yesterday.
His lawyer, Bernie Balmer, said Mr Hammond possibly suffered from a delusional disorder and autism spectrum disorder.
He said he had a historical diagnosis of ADHD.
Ms Herron’s body was found near the North Park Tennis Club in Royal Park, close to Elliott Ave, by dog walkers about 9.30am on Saturday.
It had been callously dumped near logs.
She suffered a “horrendous bashing”, homicide Detective Inspector Andrew Stamper said before Hammond’s arrest.
Magistrate Donna Bakos was told CCTV would form part of the case against Mr Hammond.
Ms Bakos refused an application by prosecutors for extra time to prepare their brief of evidence saying pathology reports could take up to 15 weeks to be prepare.
But Ms Bakos said the request was excessive and instead granted police 10 weeks to prepare the brief of evidence which must be served on Mr Hammond’s lawyers by August 5.
Mr Hammond, who was not required to say anything during the brief hearing, was remanded until his next scheduled court hearing in September.
The attack on Ms Herron has left her friends, and Melbourne at large, in shock.
She has been remembered as “beautiful” and a “great friend’’.
The 25-year-old was yesterday identified as the victim of the park slaying, which occurred on Friday night or Saturday morning.
A post-mortem examination showed she had not been sexually assaulted, and the homicide squad’s detective Inspector Andrew Stamper said there was no known motive for the crime.
“The level of violence used here was extreme,” he said.
Ms Herron had struggled with drugs and mental ill health in recent years, and police believe she had been couch-surfing and rough sleeping. The last confirmed sighting of her was on May 14, at St Albans police station.
Insp Stamper said: “This was a young woman who obviously had some significant challenges in life.
“We, as a community, should be protecting these people, and we didn’t,” he said.
“We failed.”
Friends have paid tribute to Ms Herron. One said: “Heaven has gained another angel.”
Sophie Ceylan said: “She was very kind to me and was always laughing and telling jokes. The last time I saw her, we were taking a walk through the park where she was killed.”
She said: “I’d love for her mum to know that Courtney knew how much she was loved, and how lucky she was to have a family who tried so hard to help her.”
Another friend, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “Courtney had a heart of gold.”
Another added that she “lit up a room” with her “smile and happy, bubbly personality”.
She was also remembered as a jokester, and beautiful inside and out.
Nindara Edwards-Norris told the Herald Sun that her brother, Tek Edwards, had been in a four-year relationship with Ms Herron until 2015.
“Our family, as well as Courtney’s family, are in total shock and grief at this time,” she said. “She had a good family and was a lovely person.
“We are all in shock and deeply saddened by her death.”
Ms Edwards-Norris said she was shocked to hear Ms Herron, who had worked for the Department of Health and Human Services in Preston, had become homeless.
Premier Daniel Andrews described the death as a “terrible, terrible tragedy”, but stopped short of promising to bolster security in Melbourne’s parks and gardens.
Melbourne City Council will carry out a safety review of Royal Park, which has no CCTV cameras.
“We have so much more to do in terms of preventing violence against women and keeping women across Victoria safe,” Mr Andrews said.
“This is yet again a reminder that we have a long way to go in terms of changing attitudes to women, and therefore outcomes for women.”
DEATH LEAVES MARK ON CITY
Det-Insp Stamper said he did not know Courtney Herron, but as a father of a daughter he said he was feeling her death.
“I feel angry as a proud born and bred Melbourne person that these things happen,” Insp Stamper said.
“I’m a father of a daughter and I feel just the same as everyone else when it happens.”
Like the detective, much of Melbourne was lamenting the loss of yet another young woman killed in the city.
MORE NEWS:
MUM CARJACKED DURING SHOCKING CRIME SPREE
SURPRISE TWIST IN ROLF HARRIS APPEAL
TEMPERS FLARE IN SCOTT v KING FEUD
“I knew running through here in the dark was stupid but it’s so frustrating,” local resident Emma Thompson said of her runs through Royal Park.
“It really makes me angry we can’t use our parklands but you can’t put your life at risk.”
Ms Herron, who had recently been couch surfing and sleeping rough, was battling drug and mental health issues, but that did not make her any less loved.
There was more to care about given her circumstances and vulnerability, Insp Stamper said.
“I don’t mean to in any way diminish the death or homicide of any person but, you know, these ones strike a chord,” he said.
In November last year, the seasoned homicide cop told the story of another woman’s death — the rape and murder of aspiring comedian Eurydice Dixon.
Regardless of life choices and circumstances of death, families were always hurting, he said, even if at times they were fractured as in Ms Herron’s case.
“That does not mean that families out there don’t love their children,” he said.
“We are dealing with a heartbroken family here again.”
Heartbroken, too, were the people who placed flowers at the logs where Ms Herron’s body was left.
One read: “What happened to you was horrific and you did not deserve it, nobody does. You should have been safe. We won’t forget your name.”
Police are working to piece together the last few months of Ms Herron’s life.
Officers are looking to Ms Herron’s friends and anyone who saw suspicious activity in Royal Park for a vital clue.
Among the notes left was one reading: “You deserved so much better.”
It was hard to find someone who disagreed with that sentiment.
Anyone with information can call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
‘Angels’: Hero Coles workers save mum’s life
A mother of three has opened up on how her life was saved after she suddenly collapsed while doing a routine supermarket shop.
Wildlife and traffic fears over music festival
Wildlife advocates fear a weekend music festival in central Victoria will endanger native animals including rescued joeys.