Man charged with murdering his father at Wyndham Vale home

A 43-year-old man allegedly murdered his father at a Wyndham Vale home – but the body was not discovered for several days until police conducted a welfare check.

Police at the scene where a body was found in Wyndham Vale. Picture: David Crosling

A man has been charged with killing his father at a home in Melbourne’s west.

Scott O’Brien, 43, bowed his head as he fronted Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Thursday via videolink from Sunbury police station charged with a single count of murder.

He was arrested after his dad, Stephen O’Brien, 68, was found dead during a welfare check at his Wyndham Vale property about 4.15pm on Wednesday.

Charge sheets allege Mr O’Brien killed his father at the Clapham Crescent residence between January 7 and 8.

The court did not hear any details about the circumstances surrounding his death.

Mr O’Brien made no application for bail and will return to court on May 22.

Neighbour Hariata Haipene described the male occupant of the Wyndham Vale property as “cooked”, and felt forced to install security cameras and sirens after he verbally threatened her and threw rocks at her house in previous months.

“All the signs and symptoms were there that he was on gear,” she said.

On one occasion the man threatened Ms Haipene, yelling for her to shut her dog up or he’d “shut it up for (her)”.

“He wasn’t a nice person at all.”

Another neighbour, who wished to be referred to only as Noreen, said she heard what she believed to be gunshots coming from the property on New Year’s Day, as well as yelling and swearing.

“I think I heard two gunshots and a scream (on New Year’s Day),” she said.

“I went into my backyard and saw a man looking in my direction and swearing.”

Noreen believes the commotion came from two men at the property, and that she heard them “throwing things on top of (her) roof”.

Ms Haipene also witnessed the altercation between the neighbour and Noreen, but did not see a second man.

“Maybe he was yelling at himself,” she said.

“Bro, I was scared.”

Ms Haipene said the man was “new” to the neighbourhood, having only moved in around October or November.

“He used to throw rocks into my backyard,” she said.

On one occasion the man allegedly threw a rock with such force across the fence that it cracked Ms Haipene’s bedroom window.

Ms Haipene said the death had renewed her concerns for her family’s safety.