By Rebecca Peppiatt and Amber Wilkinson
A 54-year-old man has appeared in Fremantle Magistrates Court on Tuesday charged with murdering his mother, Joan Mary Drane, 78.
Andre Lafayette Drane appeared only briefly after being held overnight in police custody after his arrest on Monday.
Worried neighbours had called police after seeing blood outside the Sandpiper Loop home.
Emergency services discovered the woman’s body inside the house just after 7am.
Neighbours said Joan was “a really nice lady” but that there had been disturbances at the house in recent weeks.
One said Joan had called out to him for assistance.
“It’s still sinking in, what has actually happened, because we’ve known them for a long time,” he said.
Another neighbour said he had had to use a pressure cleaner to clean the blood from the outside of his home.
One said Andre had for a time been living at the home but had recently moved out.
“I’m not sure if he had moved back in or not,” she said.
Police were still searching the property on Monday evening as flowers and tributes were being laid outside.
Andre Lafayette Drane.Credit: Facebook
Andre’s matter was adjourned to May 29 and transferred to Stirling Gardens Magistrates Court.
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