4 days ago
Stephen Fleming pleads guilty to manslaughter of Annette Brennan whose body was dumped in a bin in Coolaroo
A man has pleaded guilty to killing a woman whose body was found in a rubbish tip in Melbourne's north last year.
Stephen Fleming faced the Supreme Court of Victoria on Thursday morning, where he pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of 67-year-old Annette Brennan.
Police said they believed Ms Brennan's body was dumped in a bin outside a property in Coolaroo, before it was discovered by staff at an Epping waste management facility on July 3, 2024.
The pair were known to each other, police said last year.
Ms Brennan, a teacher, was well-known within Melbourne's Indonesian community and was a member of the Brunswick Indonesian Uniting Church congregation.
Fleming was originally charged with murder and pleaded not guilty in January 2025.
Earlier this week, he faced a sentence indication hearing, where accused people are typically told what sentence they could receive if they plead guilty. The hearing took place in a closed court.
Then on Thursday, the Supreme Court heard Fleming would be pleading guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter.
Details of Fleming's offence were not aired in court, other than that the killing took place around July 1, 2024, two days before the body was found.
Fleming, who was dressed in a grey prison jumper, was not required to speak at the hearing other than to tell the court that he would plead guilty to the manslaughter charge.
The offence carries a maximum of 25 years' jail.
Fleming will face a pre-sentence hearing before Justice Christopher Beale on September 29, where Ms Brennan's loved ones will be allowed to make victim impact statements.
