Man accused of supplying fridge allegedly used to hide body of Isla Bell faces court

The man accused of supplying a fridge allegedly used to hide the body of slain teen Isla Bell has significant criminal connections and the means to assume other identities to evade police, a court has heard.

The man accused of helping move a fridge allegedly used to hide the body of slain teen Isla Bell has significant criminal connections and the means to assume other identities to evade police, a court has heard.

Eyas Yaffe, 57, is fighting for bail in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on a charge of assisting an offender – associate Marat Ganiev – in the alleged murder of Ms Bell, 19, in a St Kilda East apartment on October 7.

Fresh details about the case emerged in court including that Mr Yaffe dropped his holiday plans in Warburton to meet with Mr Ganiev after the accused murderer texted him on October 8, stating: “Before you leave can you please call me?”

The following evening, Mr Yaffe is allegedly seen on CCTV footage arriving at the St Kilda East home with a silver Rav 4 with a fridge loaded onto a trailer.

Police allege the fridge, wrapped with clear plastic and black tape, contained the remains of Ms Bell when it was allegedly moved by the men more than a week later on October 17 and to locations in Hampton, Caulfield South, Bentleigh East and Mulgrave over the following days.

Eyas Yaffe, 57, has been charged with assisting an offender after the fact. Picture: Supplied

Missing person squad detective senior constable Benjamin Curran told the court Mr Yaffe has a history of evading police and could endanger the safety of the public or intimidate witnesses in the murder proceeding if released on bail.

“It’s not possible the accused, given his knowledge and behaviour, and the fact (Mr Ganiev) had a young female in his apartment at the time, that he removed a fridge and didn’t believe she had been killed and was in that fridge,” Sen-Constable Curran said.

“When the fridge was removed, it was 10 days after Ms Bell had died.

“There is a distinctive smell when someone has been dead (that long). It’s not a smell that can be mistaken or forgotten.”

A police summary states Mr Yaffe, born in Israel, has significant unexplained wealth, criminal connections in Victoria and had plans to fly to Bulgaria the day after his arrest.

Bulgaria is not party to the extradition treaty with Australia.

Police found in his possession multiple bank cards belonging to other people and businesses and two mobile phones of unknown people.

The court heard Mr Yaffe was the subject of a Firearm Prohibition Order and had a history of drug use.

Police allege he was arrested in possession of a substance believed to be methamphetamine and seen on CCTV with an ice pipe during the murder investigation.

“The accused is facing serious charges with a significant time of imprisonment. He has been evasive throughout the investigation and is clearly able to obtain phone and bank accounts in others’ names,” Sen-Constable Curran said.

“We have significant concerns, given the gravity of offending, that he is highly motivated to flee and there are no conditions that would reduce that risk.”

The court heard the family of Ms Bell oppose Mr Yaffe’s release from custody.

Police allege Isla Bell, 19, was murdered in St Kilda. Picture: Supplied

A $20K surety was offered by Mr Yaffe’s adult son, who also agreed to have his father live with him and his girlfriend at their Brighton East rental if released on bail.

Ziv Yaffe, 28, a professional painter, vowed to report his father if he breached any proposed bail conditions.

He told the court his father often worked for his business, cleaning and removing furniture.

Defence barrister Ian Hill KC said the case against Mr Yaffe was “entirely circumstantial”.

“You have to prove that Mr Yaffe either knew or believed that Ms Bell had been murdered by Mr Ganiev and you have no direct evidence that goes to Mr Yaffe’s knowledge in that sense,” Mr Hill put to the detective.

Prosecutor Daniel White said “the risks in this case are severe” and bail ought to be refused.

“The way police allege he treated the body of the deceased, by moving it around in a fridge, is egregious,” Mr White said.

“This was not one act. There are multiple acts that constitute the basis of the charge.”

The court heard Mr Yaffe was the subject of a Firearm Prohibition Order and had a history of drug use. Source: Facebook

Mr Yaffe admitted to lying to police when confronted by evidence implicating him in the murder case, according to police.

He initially denied knowing Ms Bell, insisting he attended the St Kilda East address to drop off a new fridge and that he dumped the old fridge that same day on Alma Rd.

Following a prior police interview, he was allegedly captured on CCTV meeting with Mr Ganiev and disposing in a rubbish bin a distinctive camouflage hat believed to belong to Ms Bell.

“His behaviour, the destruction of evidence by throwing out the bag, points to knowledge that he knew (the hat) belonged to the murder victim,” Sen-Constable Curran said.

The remains of Ms Bell were uncovered at a waste depot in Dandenong on Tuesday November 19, weeks after she was allegedly murdered by Mr Ganiev in his St Kilda East apartment.

On October 7, about 12.43am, a sophisticated CCTV system trained on the window of Mr Ganiev’s home allegedly captured him attacking the teenager.

“Investigators observed what appears to be Bell’s head whipping around as if she has been struck,” a police summary alleges.

“She falls to the ground and Ganiev can then be seen striking her on the ground of the kitchen.

“What appears to be Bell’s head can be seen rising up before being pushed back down by Ganiev’s arm.”

Mr Yaffe initially denied knowing Ms Bell.

Ms Bell had entered Mr Ganiev’s apartment two days earlier and had texted a friend she had found “the best Russian sugar daddy” who was showering her with gifts and had saved her from “sex traffickers”.

CCTV footage captured Mr Ganiev extensively cleaning his house over the following few days and Mr Yaffe arriving after dark on October 9 with a black fridge towed on a trailer attached to a silver Rav 4.

Police allege the fridge, clearly wrapped with plastic and black tape, was moved by the men from the home more than a week later on October 17.

The fridge, suspected of containing the remains of Ms Bell, was allegedly relocated in Hampton, Caulfield South, Bentleigh East and Mulgrave over the following days before being uncovered by a member of the public.

The bag allegedly containing Ms Bell’s remains were tracked to the waste depot in Dandenong. Picture: David Crosling

On November 18, an unwitting resident noticed a foul smell coming from the fridge abandoned inside a removalist van at the Mulgrave property.

The man removed the plastic wrapping and a bag fell out.

He told police he believed the remains were animal – not human – and that he dumped the fridge on a street corner in Bentleigh East and put the bag allegedly containing Ms Bell’s decomposed remains in a rubbish bin.

That bag was tracked to the waste depot in Dandenong, leading to the arrest of Mr Ganiev and Mr Yaffe.

Mr Ganiev is remanded in custody on a charge of murder.

Speaking outside court, Ms Bell’s grieving uncle Tom Hope said he was angry and wanted justice against the men charged in connection to his niece’s death.

“Enough is enough. There have been too many deaths of women by men and it needs to stop.

“These are preventable deaths. Isla’s death was preventable and these perpetrators need to be held accountable.”

Tom Hope, the uncle of Isla Bell, speaks outside the Melbourne Magistrates' Court

Mr Hope described his niece as a “loving, beautiful, adventurous spirit” who was deeply treasured by her friends and family.

“We are grieving right now but we are also angry,” he said.

Magistrate Rohan Lawrence will hand down his bail decision on Monday.