UPDATE: The father of Doncaster schoolgirl Masa Vukotic has faced her alleged murderer in a courtroom, fixing his gaze on Sean Price from the moment the accused man appeared in handcuffs.
Slabvoljub Vukotic had waited patiently for 90 minutes in Melbourne Magistrates Court on Friday morning before staring intently at Mr Price, 31, who appeared in custody for a filing hearing.
Mr Vukotic, dressed in black, hardly took his eyes off Mr Price – who surrendered to police on Thursday – after he was led into court flanked by two custody centre officers.
The Albion man is accused of stabbing the 17-year-old VCE student in a park near her home on Tuesday.
Mr Price is also charged with offences of rape, robbery and assault allegedly committed after the death of Ms Vukotic, who was attacked while on an evening walk.
Mr Vukotic spoke to two Homicide Squad detectives outside the courtroom door before Mr Price’s appearance, and then entered just before 10am.
When Mr Price was led into the dock, he appeared to put a thumb in his mouth and widen his eyes, but otherwise sat quietly during the 15-minute hearing, which set dates for the service of the prosecution brief, the lodgement of evidence and a next appearance.
Mr Vukotic sat with a staff member of the Office of Public Prosecutions victim support team throughout the hearing.
The accused was led into court at 11.32am and sat behind the closed glass security screen.
Prosecutor Gemma Walton said he was charged on March 19 and she provided a copy of the remand summary to magistrate Charlie Rozencwajg.
Ms Walton asked for extended dates for provision of the hand-up brief and Mr Price’s appearance at a later committal mention hearing.
She explained that police needed to collate extensive CCTV footage across 12 suburbs, there were exhibits to be lodged for forensic analysis and “multiple offences” were involved.
Ms Walton also told Mr Rozencwajg that members of Ms Vukotic’s family were present.
Defence lawyer Emily Clark did not object to the application for extended dates and said her client had previously had “custody management issues”.
Ms Clark said this had involved charges that arose between Mr Price and “private detention providers” and his management in custody.
She responded to Mr Rozencwajg that Mr Price was not making allegations against custody staff and that he also did not want to be seen by a doctor or a nurse.
Mr Price was remanded to appear again on June 26.
When Mr Price was led from the dock, a voice was heard to say: “Coward.”
This story first appeared in The Age
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