Codey Herrmann failed to appear in court while on bail, now charged with murder
The man accused of murdering Aya Maasarwe failed to show in court on alleged offences he committed while on bail.
The accused killer of Arab-Israeli student Aya Maasarwe had been arrested less than a month before Maasarwe’s death and released on police bail.
Codey Herrmann, 20, was listed to appear at the Heidelberg Magistrates Court on December 20 on charges including car theft, criminal damage and committing an indictable offence while on bail however failed to appear.
The court issued a warrant for Mr Herrmann’s arrest which was executed on December 29 but Mr Herrmann was released on police bail.
Mr Herrmann is charged with the rape and murder of Maasarwe last Wednesday.
Maasarwe’s body was found 50m from her tram stop in Bundoora, and she was killed on her way back to her student accommodation after attending a comedy club in North Melbourne.
Mr Hermann was arrested on Friday and this morning appeared before the Melbourne Magistrates Court for a brief filing hearing.
He was represented by Guillaume Bailin, from Legal Aid, who told the court it was his client’s first time in custody.
Prosecutor Jonathan McCarthy said police needed 12 weeks to prepare the brief of evidence which would involve CCTV footage.
He also requested court approval for a forensic procedure.
Mr Herrmann wore a baggy green T-shirt in court kept his head down for most of the hearing.
He appeared tired and rubbed his eyes while the lawyers discussed his case.
Magistrate Jonathan Klestadt released Mr Herrmann’s charge sheets to the media but redacted the particulars of the rape charge stating it would be “very confronting” for Maasarwe’s family to be made aware of the specific allegations through media reports.
Mr Klestadt noted Mr Herrmann was an Aboriginal person and said he may be vulnerable in custody because of his age, appearance.
Mr Herrmann is due to reappear in court via video link for a committal mention in June.
Maasarwe had been in Melbourne for five months as part of a year-long student exchange with La Trobe University.
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