Caption: Police remove the body of Mr Herat from his Springwood home last week. Photo: Glen Richardson.
A man has appeared in court charged with the stabbing murder of a 55-year-old Springwood solicitor.
Anil Herat, a solicitor and debt collector, was found stabbed to death in the back bedroom of his Boomerang Road home (which doubled as an office) last Thursday at 5pm.
A 39-year old man from Galston, near Hornsby, appeared in Parramatta Bail Court on the weekend.
Homeless man Dani Azbaa, 39, appeared briefly in the court charged with murdering Herat in his Springwood home.
Fairfax
understands Herat had represented Azbaa in a previous matter.
Police found the father-of-two dead in the house after neighbours reported hearing screams.
Police arrested Mr Azbaa at Galston in Sydney’s north about 6.30pm Friday.
Mr Herat’s family, including his brother and sister, sat in court during Mr Azbaa’s appearance but did not wish to comment any further on the matter.
Mr Azbaa smiled as he appeared via video-audio link from the holding cells at Penrith.
“Hi, how are you?” he asked magistrate Kevin Flack.
The Lebananese national required an Arabic interpreter to explain what he had been charged with.
He did not apply for bail, which was formally refused by Mr Flack.
Mr Azbaa is due before Penrith Local Court on September 21.
It is the second time in as many years Springwood has been in the news for murder.
In March last year a 45-year-old man died only 500 metres away in Charles Street.
Police arrested John McCann at the Charles Street home where they allege an altercation took place in the kitchen between McCann and the 45-year-old man.
McCann, 65, is due to appear for trial before the Sydney Supreme Court on November 5. The trial is expected to last 15 days.