Boyfriend of slain mum Kelly Zhang pleads not guilty to her murder

The boyfriend of a mother found dead at a suburban rubbish tip has denied killing her while police allege he snapped after discovering she was in another relationship.

Police searching the Wollert tip as part of the investigation into Ju Zhang’s disappearance. Picture: Tony Gough

The boyfriend of a mother found dead at a suburban rubbish tip allegedly killed her a month after they met online after finding out she had another lover.

The alleged motive for Joon Seong Tan murdering Ju “Kelly” Zhang was revealed for the first time as he was ordered to stand trial in the Supreme Court.

Mr Tan, from Doncaster, has pleaded not guilty to her murder.

A police summary released by the court reveals Mr Tan, 36, had become “infatuated” with Ms Zhang, 33, after meeting her on the online meeting place YeeYi on January 1 this year.

Within weeks he had allegedly wooed her with his money, as well as cleaning her house and caring for her son.

He even already started calling her his wife.

But police allege he snapped and killed her in her Epping home on February 1 just before 6pm after becoming aware she had started a relationship with another man.

He then allegedly stored her body in a laundry cupboard away from her eight-year-old son’s eyes.

Police will further allege he tampered with the CCTV at the house, allowing him to later carry out her body inside a garbage bin.

At 2am, he allegedly drove Ms Zhang’s body to Heidelberg West and dumped it into a bin.

Later than morning, he allegedly returned to the location to watch the bin be collected by a rubbish truck.

It is also revealed that despite having a wife and two children in Malaysia, he was allegedly looking for someone to marry in Australia so he could stay in the country.

Ms Zhang had told a friend that Mr Tan had offered her $60,000 to marry him, police said.

Ju ‘Kelly’ Zhang.

Joon Seong Tan. Picture: Josie Hayden

Mr Tan had planned to contest allegations he murdered Ms Zhang at a five-day hearing in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court in March.

But his lawyer Gregory Hughan told the court on Wednesday his client would like to vacate those dates and have his case fast-tracked to the Supreme Court.

Asked how he pleaded to the single count of murder, Mr Tan, appearing via videolink from the Metropolitan Remand Centre, replied, through a Mandarin interpreter: “Not guilty”.

The Malaysian national was in February charged with murdering Ms Zhang, 33, after he was arrested by police while allegedly trying to board a flight at Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport.

Ms Zhang was reported missing on February 2 after she disappeared from the Epping home she shared with her eight-year-old son.

Police suspect she was killed and dumped in a garbage bin on the evening of February 1.

On June 18, her remains were found following a four-day search of landfill at Wollert, 25km north of the city.

Magistrate Peter Reardon cautioned Mr Tan on his rights when entering his plea, before ordering he stand trial in the Supreme Court.

“In relation to the charge of murder, there is sufficient evidence to place you on trial,” Mr Reardon said.

Mr Tan will appear for a directions hearing in the Supreme Court on December 16.