A man accused of stomping to death university student Josh Hardy outside a McDonald's restaurant has appeared briefly in court.
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Kyle Zandipour, who claims to be an investment banker, appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Friday charged with murdering Mr Hardy in the early hours of Saturday, October 18.
The 28-year-old, wearing a grey suit and tie, smiled at his family as he was led into the dock.
Mr Hardy, a third-year arts student who lived at the University of Melbourne's Trinity College, died from head injuries sustained in the alleged attack.
Prosecutor Guillaume Bailin said Mr Zandipour had been arrested on October 18 and the police brief of evidence against him would be handed to his lawyers by January 12 next year.
Defence lawyer George Defteros said a decision on a possible application for bail by Mr Zandipour in the Supreme Court would be made as soon as all the police information was made available.
Mr Defteros said there were no custody management issues in relation to Mr Zandipour at this stage.
Chief Magistrate Peter Lauritsen remanded Mr Zandipour for a committal mention on March 23.
An earlier court hearing was told Mr Zandipour and another man had been drinking and playing PlayStation before walking to the nearby McDonald's on St Kilda Road.
Police claimed the pair bought their food and were sitting outside at about 12.15am when a seemingly drunk Mr Hardy staggered up to their table.
As the men got up to leave, police said Mr Hardy appeared to try to trip Mr Zandipour and a fight broke out. Mr Zandipour allegedly flipped Mr Hardy on to the concrete, kicked him and stomped on his head.
Mr Hardy was taken to hospital but died from head injuries at 2.05am.
He had been out to dinner with friends from university when one of them put him in a taxi to go home to Parkville.
It was on the ride home when he decided to stop at the McDonald's where the alleged confrontation with Mr Zandipour took place.
Mr Hardy, who grew up in Darwin, came to Melbourne Grammar School in 2010 as part of its indigenous program, and then went to the University of Melbourne.
He had volunteered as a mentor for the Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience while studying.
After Josh Hardy's death, his father David urged every child and parent to "tell each other that you love them".
