The two men charged with the murder and bungled kidnap of 85-year-old Chris Baghsarian have faced court as a defence lawyer admitted his client was ‘no mastermind’.
Daniel Stevens, 24, and Gerard Andrews, 29, were arrested on Wednesday in early morning raids on their homes in Kenthurst and Castle Hill, in Sydney’s north-west, after police discovered Mr Baghsarian’s remains near a golf course the previous day.
The men appeared separately before Blacktown Local Court on Thursday morning, charged with taking/detaining Mr Baghsarian with intent to ransom, occasioning bodily harm and murdering him at Dural, NSW, between February 13 and 14.
Andrews appeared first on screen from custody in the same tatty Gucci t-shirt he wore when police humiliatingly arrested him with his jeans around his ankles.
He hung his head before speaking just one word in court when Magistrate Bree Chisholm asked him: ‘Can you see me on screen, Mr Andrews?’
‘Yes,’ Andrews replied.
His lawyer Paul McGirr didn’t apply for bail, and outside court, the former police officer told reporters his client was ‘no mastermind’in the alleged plot.
‘It’s a horrific set of facts that I’ve read in my experience as a police officer and defence lawyer, and I just have to remind myself that I have a job to do under these circumstances,’ he said
‘It’s not lost on me the sensitive nature of this particular matter for the victim’s family but I have a job to do, and it’s very hard at this moment for me to do that job having read the fact sheet.
‘These matters are extremely sensitive and in that particular respect, certainly from what I can gather, my client was no mastermind in respect to his involvement in this particular matter.
‘But we will wait for a brief and take it from there.
Stevens then appeared before the court with his lawyer, Javid Faiz, telling the magistrate his client was suffering from shingles.
Mr Faiz said: ‘Mr Stevens requires some medication – he has shingles and since he has been in custody it’s affecting him and there’s a particular medication.’
Stevens added: ‘It’s just an antiviral, the shingles is not contagious anymore, it’s just that I haven’t showered,’ before asking for generic brand of the antiviral medication.
His lawyer then sought a health assessment for his client.
Mr Faiz sought a health assessment and requested medication for his client which was granted by the Magistrate.
Outside court, Mr Faiz told reporters Stevens understood the ‘the nature and gravity of the allegations’ against him.
‘He’s taking the matter seriously,’ Mr Faiz said.
‘He is procedurally aware that this matter is going to take some time.
‘It’s a tragic incident there’s no doubt that this would have had an effect on the community.
‘However the matters are before the court it’s not appropriate to make any further comment.’
Both men were denied bail with their matters adjourned to April 17 at Penrith Local Court.