‘Rot in hell’: Family interrupts court hearing of murder accused

The family of a missing woman allegedly murdered by her boyfriend have used his first court hearing to speak directly to him with one demand.

The family of a woman allegedly killed by her boyfriend have used his first court hearing to demand he tell them what happened.

Toby Loughnane, 41, appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates Court over videolink from prison on Friday charged with the murder of missing woman Maryam Hamka, 36, whose body has not been found.

A woman who appeared on screen at the end of the hearing spoke directly to Mr Loughnane.

“Toby, where is my niece?” she said. “You should rot in hell.”

The link was cut out immediately after her words.

Maryam Hamka was allegedly murdered by her boyfriend, with her grieving family desperate to know where she is. Picture: Instagram

Another woman held up a laminated picture of a newspaper article with the headline “Where is she now?” to her camera during the hearing.

She appeared to be speaking emotively directly into her camera but could not be heard as she was placed on mute.

At other times she shook her head and gestured.

Mr Loughnane’s lawyer Sam Norton asked the court for a suppression order that would prevent media from reporting on previous charges laid against Mr Loughnane that he denies.

Toby Loughnane is accused of killing his girlfriend, who has not been seen for months. Picture: Supplied

The charges are “serious allegations of violence, they have a nasty element to them”, he said.

He said knowledge of the prior alleged offences could impact a future jury in a murder trial.

Mr Loughnane has active charges of recklessly causing injury and aggravated assault against Ms Hamka from before her disappearance.

Magistrate High Radford refused the suppression order application and said juries were directed not to look at media about the case.

Ms Hamka has not been seen since April.