Name of man charged with murder of Samantha Murphy suppressed

The 22-year-old cannot be named as an interim suppression order was granted by Magistrate Michelle Mykytowycz.

He appeared impassive in the dock throughout proceedings, dressed in orange and blue high vis workwear.

At the hearing, the man's lawyer David Tamanika told the court it was his client's first time in custody and there was a risk of self harm owing to him "being charged with murder in a highly publicised case".

Police prosecutor Steve Repac said police were seeking 20 weeks to compile a brief of evidence in the case.

Charge sheets show the man is facing a single charge of murder, which states "the accused at Mount Clear on Sunday the 4^th of February 2024 did murder Samantha Murphy".

There was no application for bail, and the man will reappear in court on August 8 for a committal hearing.

Mr Tamanika sought the suppression order application on the grounds of avoiding any prejudice to future hearings or trials the 22-year-old could face.

The lawyer also said there was a "legitimate risk" to the man's safety posed by self harm due to the international attention the Samantha Murphy investigation has attracted.

Interim suppressions order can be granted without consideration of their merits unlike full suppression orders, the magistrate said.

"Just looking around this court room and those online, this [the case] is of high media interest and has a high community interest as well," she said.

"For me it is a balancing exercise between the principle of open justice and the application of Mr Tamanika.

"In the circumstances, not withstanding the fact that the name of [the accused] is in the community, should not be a basis to rule out an interim suppression order."

The interim suppression order was widely opposed by reporters both in the court room and those watching via video link.

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