Steve Fabriczy extradited to ACT, accused of Irma Palisics' murder

Steve Fabriczy, 68, was arrested on Wednesday morning and is expected to be charged with the murder of 73-year-old Irma Palisics.

The Dandenong Magistrates Court heard on Thursday afternoon the Melbourne man made "a number of admissions to his involvement in that incident" to police earlier this month.

"Not a full confession your honour," Australian Federal Police Detective Sergeant Craig Marriott said while giving evidence.

"But he admitted being in the premises. He admitted being there for the purposes of burglary.

"He gave details of that incident we say would only be known to a person who was involved in the incident."

Detective Sergeant Marriott said Fabriczy denied assaulting Mrs Palisics and husband Gregor on the night of November 6, 1999, in the suburb of McKellar.

Victorian magistrate Jason Ong approved Fabriczy's extradition to the territory, which was unopposed by defence. Fabriczy was set to board a 6.25pm Qantas flight.

However, Mr Ong denied the man's extradition bail application and ordered him to travel in custody due to a number of "unacceptable risks".

"I take into account the strength of the prosecution case which I'm told relies on admissions made by the accused," the magistrate said.

"He makes admissions to being in the house at the time but denies being a party to any type of assault."

The court heard the cold case investigation had been mostly fruitless until 2019, when a DNA match was made to Fabriczy through the National Crime Investigation DNA Database.

Detective Sergeant Marriott told the court Fabriczy's DNA, which was taken a number of years earlier by Victorian police, was matched by the AFP in mid-2020.

This opened an investigation into the suspect.

Detective Sergeant Marriott detailed allegations against Fabriczy and another man said to still be "at large".

The police officer told the court Mr and Mrs Palasics were bound with cable ties, duct tape and a telephone cord and their McKellar home was ransacked.

"After a period of what's estimated to be about an hour or so, Mr Palasics, who had been in and out of consciousness, was able to free himself from his bindings and found his wife facedown in the hallway," he said.

"She was still bound - hands, ankles, and over her mouth.

"He rolled her over, removed her bindings, but she had passed away."

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Detective Sergeant Marriott said the woman "effectively drowned in her own blood".

A prosecutor told the court Fabriczy was incarcerated between 2010 and 2012 after being convicted of a conspiracy to highjack a truckload of cigarettes.

Fabriczy is expected to face the ACT Magistrates Court on Friday.

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