A 42-year-old man and a 41-year-old woman facing charges of murder have been remanded in custody after appearing in Mudgee Local Court on Friday.
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Originally granted bail on exceptional circumstances, police prosecution appealed the decision. The couple will remain in custody until their next court appearance on July 18 unless bail is granted.
The couple was charged about 10am on Thursday after being called to present at Mudgee Police Station over the alleged murder of an 11-year-old boy last year.
Originally as part of the bail conditions magistrate Jan Stevenson ordered both the man and woman to pay $5000 each and to report to their local police station on a regular basis among numerous other strict conditions.
Police prosecutor Dwayne Gumley told the court the offences related to “one of the most vulnerable people in our community. A child with high needs including ADHD and Autism.”
The NSW Homicide Squad have alleged the cause of death was hypothermia in an under-nourished child showing severe or chronic signs of neglect and abuse.
Ms Stevenson said she had directly contacted the State Coroner’s office to obtain the post-mortem report but there had been delays.
In the early hours of Saturday, October 1, 2011, emergency services were called to a residence where they found an unconscious boy.
The boy was taken to Rylstone Hospital but died shortly after arrival.
State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad has been investigating the circumstances surrounding the death under Strike Force Cohn, assisted by detectives from Mudgee Local Area Command.