A university graduate killed in Canberra's inner north last week was allegedly robbed of his mobile phone and the contents of his wallet - just $21 in cash.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Two people, including a teenage boy, have faced courts on both sides of the ACT border over the killing of the man, identified on the court charge sheet as Liang Zhao.
The 27-year-old was found dead outside a Northbourne Avenue apartment complex in Braddon last Thursday morning. Police have said the victim, who suffered severe head injuries, had got off a Greyhound bus from Melbourne at the Jolimont Centre shortly before he died and was heading to meet family.
A 17-year-old male was taken into custody on Saturday night and made a brief appearance before Magistrate Karen Fryar in the ACT Children's Court yesterday morning.
Later in the day his co-accused, 20-year-old Taylor Lewis Schmidt, sat through an extradition hearing in a Queanbeyan court holding his head in his hands.
The teenager, who cannot be named, has been charged with murder and aggravated robbery.
According to the charge read out in court, the teenager was allegedly armed with a machete during the robbery. He is accused of stealing Mr Zhao's HTC Desire mobile phone and wallet, containing $21.
The teen did not apply for bail, and his legal aid lawyer was granted a 10-week adjournment with the consent of the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Ms Fryar, at the request of the prosecutor, marked the case as a major matter, which means it will travel through the case management process before a single magistrate.
No pleas were entered, and the magistrate formally remanded the boy in custody. Family members in the court gallery wept as he was taken below to the court cells.
About an hour later, police arrested Schmidt on Stornaway Road in Queanbeyan.
He was brought before the Queanbeyan Local Court for an extradition hearing late yesterday afternoon.
The Turner man is yet to be charged but the arrest warrant issued by the ACT Magistrates Court alleges he murdered Mr Zhao.
His lawyer, Andrew Herring, argued the extradition warrant was invalid because it had been issued by the territory courts deputy registrar rather than a magistrate.
Magistrate Brian Van Zuylen said he did not accept Mr Herrings argument, and ordered Schmidt be extradited to the territory.
Schmidt made no bail application, and was to be taken across the border in police custody last night.
He is expected to appear in the ACT Magistrates Court this morning.