Alleged housemate murderer to remain in custody on remand
A man will remain behind bars for at least a month after he was charged with stabbing his housemate to death in a vicious alleged domestic violence incident.
Police allege Benjamin Scott Art, 42, stabbed a woman to death at a home on Clements St in the inner-west Sydney suburb of Russell Lea before 11am on Thursday.
Officers arrived at the scene to find the body of the woman in her 50s with gruesome injuries, including a cut to the throat and multiple stab wounds.
Police claim the woman had been living with Mr Art in a share house, which he had only moved into two to three weeks ago.
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They were not in an intimate relationship, but their living status means the alleged murder has been classified as a domestic violence homicide.
Benjamin Art has been charged with murdering his housemate in Sydney’s inner west. NewsWire/ Monique Harmer Credit: News Corp Australia
Police arrived at the scene a minute after receiving a call from a member of the public who had heard a woman “screaming” at the Russell Lea home.
Mr Art was arrested at the scene and taken to Prince Alfred Hospital for treatment of his injuries before being charged with murder.
He was not required to appear in Parramatta Local Court on Friday after spending the night behind bars on remand.
His lawyer Javid Faiz acknowledged the murder charge was “very serious in nature” and “probably one of the most serious charges that comes before this court”.
The magistrate replied there was no guesswork involved and it was the most serious charge to be heard in a local court.
He adjourned the matter until August 28 to allow the brief of evidence to be served on Mr Art’s lawyer.
The alleged murderer did not apply to be released on bail, so he will remain behind bars until he returns to court next month.