Tradie arrested over Maryam Hamka’s disappearance

The family of suspected murder victim Maryam Hamka want the two men charged over her disappearance to tell them where she is.

Missing persons squad detectives during the search for Maryam Hamka earlier this year. Picture: Nicki Connolly

The grieving family of suspected homicide victim Maryam Hamka have renewed their desperate appeal to recoup her body.

Maryam’s brother Ayman Hamka told the Herald Sun it was a relief that two men have been charged for their alleged involvement in her disappearance, but it was not enough.

Mr Hamka pleaded for Maryam’s remains to be returned on behalf of his family.

“We just want to know where her body is, for the family,” Mr Hamka said on Thursday.

“I’m happy we are getting results, hopefully we can keep them off the streets so no one else has to go through this.

“I have lost my sister and for what. I can’t figure out the reason, it was pointless. A lot of lives have been affected.”

Mr Hamka said allegations aired in court about what may have been done to his sister had been difficult to hear.

“When we heard about the pressure washer and the petrol, that was hard,” he said.

“I don’t like to think about what was done, it hurts. Thinking about my sister’s last moments really hurts.”

Missing Brunswick woman Maryam Hamka.

She was last seen in April.

The man accused of killing Ms Hamka, enlisted a mate who owed him a debt to help him clean up the bloody murder scene, a court has heard.

Oscar Newman, 26, from Richmond, fronted Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday charged with assisting Toby Loughnane, 41, in the murder.

The court heard Mr Newman was caught on CCTV attending Mr Loughnane’s Brighton house with a steam carpet cleaner and a tin of petrol in the days after Ms Hamka disappeared in April this year.

Blood later identified as being Ms Hamka’s was also allegedly found in a red Mazda sedan that was leased by Mr Newman and was seen coming and going from the property.

Opposing Mr Newman’s application for bail, Detective Senior Constable Jason Stewart, from the Missing Persons Squad, told the court Mr Newman is suspected of knowing where Ms Hamka’s body has been dumped.

“The car that he leased has blood DNA of the deceased in it. There is a high degree of probability … that he does know,” Sen-Constable Stewart said.

He alleged Mr Loughnane killed Ms Hamka, 36, at his home on April 11, with Mr Newman attending at the house nine times in the six days that followed.

CCTV showed Mr Newman attending the house in the red Mazda for five minutes on April 11, before returning the next day for five hours.

Police suspect foul play in her disappearance.

Maryam Hamka’s body has not been found.

He allegedly returned again on April 15 after sourcing a steam cleaner on Gumtree at Mr Loughnane’s request.

Sen-Constable Stewart alleged Ms Hamka’s body was not removed from the property until between 5.15am-7am on April 13 — with the red Mazda seen leaving the home during that time.

Her body is yet to be found.

The court heard Mr Loughnane had leant Mr Newman a car last year, but Mr Newman pawned it for $45,000 to feed his gambling addiction.

It is because of this, Sen-Constable Stewart alleges Mr Loughnane called on Mr Newman to help clean the property due to the “significant debt” he owed.

Bottles of ammonia, bleach and other cleaning products were found at Mr Loughnane’s house.

“We allege there have been attempts to clean up the crime scene,” Sen-Constable Stewart said.

He said Ms Hamka’s family were “extremely distressed by the loss of their daughter, their sister” and did not want anyone who had anything to do with her disappearance bailed.

Magistrate Andrew McKenna denied bail, saying Mr Newman was an unacceptable risk of continuing to obstruct justice as a “trusty associate” of Mr Loughnane.

“The concealment of the body of Hamka is a serious matter indeed,” Mr McKenna said.

“Often failure to find a body can impede to the point of disabling a prosecution from even commencing. Although that seems not to be the case here.

“It’s not minor that the applicant, Newman, was called to assist, and willing to do so in the period immediately following the murder.

“He must be regarded as a trusty reliable person to assist the principal offender.”

Mr Newman’s court appearance came just hours after police arrested and charged him with

assist offender (murder) and drug offences.

It also follows Mr Loughnane being charged with one count of murder last week.

The last time Ms Hamka was seen by her family was in the company of Mr Loughnane.

He picked her up from her Brunswick home on April 10 to take her back to Brighton.

Her last-known movements were captured on CCTV, when she was seen leaving the Albert St Woolworths in Brunswick about 5.30pm on April 10.

Her family raised the alarm with police five days later after Ms Hamka failed to call to ask about her nephew, who she dearly loved and visited often.

Last week, Ms Hamka’s brother, Ayman Hamka, said the murder charge brought small relief to the family.

“I am glad Toby has been charged. Hopefully now they can bring her home and we can get some closure,” Mr Hamka said. “We want to let Maryam rest in peace.”

Mr Hamka said his mother had been “upset” after detectives delivered the news on Wednesday.

“It’s a mixed feeling, Mum is a bit emotional and all over the shop,” Mr Hamka said. “She is quite devastated.”

Mr Newman and Mr Loughnane both remain on remand and will return to court in December.