Xochil O’Neill pleads not guilty to Maud Steenbeek Skype death by reason of mental impairment
A man accused of beating a Melbourne mother to death with a wooden paddle while she was on Skype with her brother will argue he was mentally impaired at the time of the murder.
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A man accused of beating a Melbourne mother to death as she spoke with her brother on Skype will argue he was mentally impaired at the time of her death.
Maud Steinbeck was speaking with her brother in the Netherlands when she was attacked in her Heidelberg West home.
Her brother is understood to have seen an intruder before the video call cut out.
Xochil O’Neill on Tuesday pleaded not guilty to the murder of Ms Steenbeek, 61, on January 28.
O’Neill is yet to be interviewed by police almost six months on.
After spotting the intruder in the call, Ms Steenbeek’s brother called his nephew who raced to his mother’s home and restrained Mr O’Neill, court documents allege.
Detectives allege the 29-year-old, who lived diagonally opposite Ms Steenbeek’s home on Liberty Parade, repeatedly and fatally struck the mother-of-two with a Samoan wooden paddle about 8pm after entering through the back door of her house.
It is not alleged the two knew each other.
Multiple neighbours called triple-0 to report screaming and yelling coming from the home, a summary of alleged facts states.
It is alleged just five minutes passed between O’Neill entering Ms Steenbeek’s home and her son arriving to help.
The court heard neighbours described seeing “certain behaviours” of O’Neill before the alleged murder.
O’Neill was arrested and taken to the Royal Melbourne hospital with critical injuries where he remained under police guard for two months before he was charged with one count of murder on March 24.
He appeared via video link from prison on Tuesday wearing what appeared to be a helmet, which his lawyer explained was a medical requirement due to a brain injury.
The court heard O’Neill has pleaded not guilty by reasons of mental impairment.
Ms Steenbeek’s family, including her two sons and ex-partner sat in court and watched the small video screen as O’Neill formally entered his plea.
Magistrate Susan Wakeling acknowledged the family’s presence and difficult experience and thanked the parties for ensuring the matter was dealt with “speedily”.
Ms Steenbeek, originally from Holland had been living in Australia for the past four decades and had been planning a sea-change to Geelong before her death.
Friends described her as “a caring devoted mother, an enlightened spirit, a beautiful-natured person”.
O’Neill will next face the Supreme Court on July 29.
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