Henry Hammond pleads not guilty to murdering Courtney Herron
Courtney Herron’s mother has wept in court as the homeless man accused of beating her daughter to death pleaded not guilty to her murder.
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A homeless man accused of killing Courtney Herron in a Melbourne park has pleaded not guilty to murder.
Henry Hammond, 27, faced Melbourne Magistrates Court today via videolink where he waived his right to a preliminary hearing in the lower court to determine if there was sufficient evidence for him to stand trial.
Instead, the court heard the case would proceed straight to the Supreme Court.
When Magistrate Peter Reardon asked Mr Hammond how he pleaded to the murder charge, he responded: “Not guilty.”
Ms Herron’s mother Maxie sat in court and cried as Mr Hammond entered his plea.
Ms Herron, 25, was found brutally beaten at Parkville’s Royal Park in May.
An earlier hearing heard how Mr Hammond possibly suffered from a delusional disorder and autism spectrum disorder.
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He also had an historical diagnosis of ADHD.
Ms Herron had struggled with drugs and mental ill health in recent years, and police believe she had been couch-surfing and rough sleeping before she was killed.
Mr Hammond was remanded to face the Supreme Court in January.