The uncle of a 25-year-old Chinese student, charged with her murder, has been formally refused bail in court.
Mengmei Leng was last seen catching a train last Thursday afternoon. Contact with friends ceased on Thursday night, and her body was recovered three days later at a blowhole at Snapper Point on the Central Coast.
Ms Leng lived with her auntie and uncle in the Syndey suburb of Campsie since arriving in Australia five years ago.
Police allege Ms Leng’s uncle, 27-year-old Derek Barrett, murdered the 25-year-old last weekend. It has been reported that the neice was stabbed more
than 30 times during the attack.
Further reports indicate that Mr Barrett’s mobile phone was intercepted less than 10km from where the woman’s body was dumped, and just 25 minutes before she was discovered.
Investigations led to the arrest and charging of Mr Barrett on Friday afternoon at Campsie Police Station. Barrett is believed to originally be from the Central Coast town of Gwandalan.
He will reappear in court on Wednesday, May 4.
