A young Canberra woman will fight allegations she murdered her mother in Dunlop on Friday, despite a courtroom confession the day after her arrest.
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Gabriela Woutersz, 23, has been sent to Canberra Hospital for further mental health checks after appearing for the second time in the ACT Magistrates Court on Tuesday morning.
Woutersz is accused of killing her mother, Norma Cheryl Woutersz, 56, in their Dunlop home on Friday afternoon.
She was arrested later that evening, and told the court the next morning that "I 100 per cent did the murder".
"I don't need a lawyer when I'm pleading guilty," she said.
Woutersz did not speak during Tuesday's court appearance, save to her lawyer Jacob Robertson, of Legal Aid.
A large group of family and friends packed out the opposite side of the courtroom to where Woutersz sat, watching on as guards brought in the accused killer, who was wearing tracksuit pants and joggers.
Some comforted each other as they watched proceedings.
Mr Robertson told the court his client wished to indicate a plea of not guilty to the murder charge. He said that there were no current issues with her fitness to plead.
Crown prosecutor Shane Drumgold said a doctor who assessed Woutersz's mental health wanted to conduct more checks, and asked that the young woman be sent back to a facility to allow that to happen.
Magistrate Karen Fryar ordered that take place, and that Woutersz only be released from the facility into the custody of police.
Ms Fryar also accepted the plea of not guilty.
The prosecution had suggested the plea of not guilty just be recorded as an indication until Woutersz came back from her hospital assessments.
Ms Fryar said the issue could simply be revisited once Woutersz returned, if necessary.
Woutersz swung back and forth on her chair at points during the proceedings.
She is also facing traffic offences, and was charged over a common assault.
That assault was alleged to have occurred on October 18, the day after her arrest.
No other details about the murder emerged from the court appearance.
Police earlier said the nature of the injuries led them to treat the death as a homicide.
An autopsy was conducted on Monday, and a brief is being prepared for the ACT Coroner.
Forensic teams were still collecting evidence from the Dexion Place home on Monday, and it was still cordoned off by police tape.
Woutersz did not apply for bail on Tuesday, nor during her first court appearance on Saturday.
The court has previously heard that Woutersz may suffer from bipolar disorder.
The prosecution also made an application for a forensic procedure order.
A next hearing date has not been set, but the court will be notified when Woutersz is ready to return from the hospital.