Justin Stein,32,has been charged with domestic violence-related murder and improperly interfering with a corpse or human remains after the schoolgirl disappeared from his family’s remote Blue Mountains estate,Wildenstein,early last year.
Justin Stein is accused of murdering his partner’s daughter.Facebook
In Penrith Local Court on Friday,Stein’s solicitor Peter Katsoolis said his client pleaded not guilty to the two charges.
Asked by magistrate Fiona Toose to confirm his pleas,Stein,appearing via video link,replied:“Yes,that’s correct.”
The magistrate told Stein he was committed for trial in the Supreme Court in Sydney on the murder charge,and the interference charge would remain with the matter as a related count.
Outside court,Katsoolis told reporters:“He’s maintained his innocence from the outset in relation to these charges,and they’ll be vigorously defended.”
Charlise Mutten.
Stein will be arraigned in the Supreme Court on July 7.
Police allege Stein fatally shot the Tweed Heads Public School student while she was visiting her mother,Kallista Mutten,for the summer holidays.
Court documents allege Charlise was murdered between 7.16pm on January 11,2022 and 10.13am on January 12.
Following extensive searches,her body was found on January 18 with a single gunshot wound to the head. Stein was arrested at a Surry Hills unit that night.
Stein is alleged to have transported the girl’s body in a plastic barrel more than 200 kilometres across Sydney in a red Holden Colorado ute before dumping it by the river.
Regarding the allegation of interfering with human remains,court documents allege that Stein,between 7.16pm on January 11,2022 and 2.42am on January 14 “did offer an indignity to a dead human body”.
Stein is further charged with two counts of possessing an unregistered firearm,two counts of possessing an unauthorised firearm,possessing ammunition without a licence or permit,and aggravated break and enter in company.
Police say they conducted a search of the Mount Wilson property and the surrounding bushland on February 3 last year and found two firearms and ammunition. The items were seized and underwent forensic examination.
Katsoolis said,“discussions are ongoing” and asked for the matter to return to the Local Court on June 2 for a “likely committal on that date”.
Wildenstein homestead,owned by Stein’s parents,was previously used as a family weekender before being converted into a wedding venue.
Stein has also been charged with two counts of possessing child abuse material for unrelated matters. He pleaded not guilty to the charges on Friday and was committed to stand trial in the District Court,where he will be arraigned next month.
Stein made no application for bail,and it was formally refused.
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