A man who allegedly murdered Melbourne woman Isla Bell, and another man accused of covering up her death, have been ordered to stand trial.<\/p>\n
Warning: this story contains details that may distress some readers.<\/p>\n
The 19-year-old’s remains were found at a rubbish tip last November after her body had been placed in a fridge and transported around Melbourne over several weeks.<\/p>\n
Prosecutors allege she was murdered by Marat Ganiev, a man she barely knew, after going to his St Kilda East apartment on October 7, 2024.<\/p>\n
The Melbourne Magistrates’ Court has heard detectives obtained security footage allegedly showing Mr Ganiev assaulting Ms Bell.<\/p>\n
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Marat Ganiev, pictured at a younger age on his social media, was charged with Ms Bell’s murder. (Facebook)<\/p>\n
Mr Ganiev’s associate, Eyal Yaffe, is charged with assisting an offender and attempting to pervert the course of justice \u2014 a charge which relates to alleged efforts to frustrate the police investigation.<\/p>\n
On Friday, Magistrate Michelle Mykytowycz ruled there was enough evidence to send the men to trial, leaving it to a jury to decide if they are guilty.<\/p>\n
Magistrate Mykytowycz said the prosecution’s case was circumstantial and much of the evidence “tenuous”.<\/p>\n
She said it was not her job to play the role of a jury, but to decide if a jury properly instructed by a trial judge could reach a verdict.<\/p>\n
Mr Ganiev attended the hearing via video link from prison and formally entered a plea of not guilty via a Russian interpreter after the magistrate’s decision was handed down.<\/p>\n
Mr Yaffe also entered not guilty pleas to both charges.<\/p>\n
Cause of death unclear, magistrate says<\/p>\n
Magistrate Mykytowycz listed various uncertainties in the prosecution’s case against Ms Bell’s alleged killer, including that it was unproven who or what was responsible for her death.<\/p>\n
Forensic experts were unable to say how she died due to the condition of her remains, which had also been damaged by rubbish truck machinery.<\/p>\n
“Unequivocally, on the expert evidence, the cause of death is unascertained,” she told the court.<\/p>\n
Nor had forensic experts been able to provide an exact time of death, she said.<\/p>\n
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Forensic experts were unable to determine the cause or time of Isla Bell’s death. (Supplied)<\/p>\n
The magistrate added there was no evidence of “acrimony” between Ms Bell and Mr Ganiev, saying on the contrary, the young woman had written via social media she had found the “best Russian sugar daddy”.<\/p>\n
Magistrate Mykytowycz told the court medical experts could not confirm the cause of death and had agreed the possibility of a drug overdose “could not be excluded”.<\/p>\n
A number of drugs were detected in Ms Bell’s hair, spleen and stomach including methamphetamine, MDMA, cocaine, diazepam, cannabis, ADHD medication and methadone, the court heard.<\/p>\n
The magistrate said the court had heard evidence that methadone could have a sedative effect and its impacts could be serious or fatal.<\/p>\n
Lawyers had urged court to dismiss charges<\/p>\n