Accused murderer of teacher appears in court as victim remembered

A man accused of murdering an English teacher and dumping her body in a wheelie bin has appeared in court, where police asked for extra time to process evidence collected from various crime scenes.

Stephen Fleming, 45, has been charged over the death of 67-year-old Coolaroo woman Annette Brennan, whose body was discovered by workers moving green waste at a tip in Epping last Wednesday.

Fleming is accused of killing the teacher in Coolaroo on or around July 1.

Investigators believe Brennan’s remains were inside a bin that was picked up outside her Hilgay Street home on Tuesday of last week and taken to the Epping waste facility about eight kilometres away.

Brennan, who taught English and was a tutor for overseas arrivals to Australia, had moved to the street just two months earlier and recently told a neighbour she was looking for a housemate to split the cost of renting the single-storey brick home.

Fleming appeared in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court, where prosecutor Connor Rattray successfully asked for an extended 20 weeks to put together a brief of evidence and allow forensic officers to work through crime scenes connected to the investigation.

Dressed in a grey jumper and tracksuit pants, Fleming sat in the dock and was not required to speak during the short hearing.

Police allege Brennan and Fleming were known to each other, but it is not yet clear what relationship the pair had.

Images shared by Brennan on social media paint the picture of an active woman who enjoyed watching Collingwood games, travelling and spending time with her friends and students.

According to her LinkedIn profile, the 67-year-old had worked as a teacher for several language and training courses since 2012, including in the Chinese cities of Shanghai and Shenzhen.

Since 2020, Brennan had been employed as an online tutor for Australian Education Management Group, a company promoting cultural and language exchanges between Australia and China.

News of Brennan’s death shocked former students and members of her church, who remembered her as an amazing teacher who had become a “second mum” to some.

“She was beautiful, loving and a kind woman,” former student Simona Croce told Nine News. “No one deserves to be treated this way, no one.”

A fellow parishioner at Brunswick Indonesian Uniting Church wrote online: “Rest in peace Annette Brennan ... we love you but Jesus loves you more.”

Fleming was remanded in custody and will reappear in court in January.

John Silvester lifts the lid on Australia’s criminal underworld. Subscribers can sign up to receive his Naked City newsletter every Thursday.