Sikorsky to fight murder charge

THE man accused of murdering 16-year-old Brisbane girl Larissa Beilby and leaving her body in a barrel on the back of a ute will fight the charge, his lawyer says.

Zlatko Sikorsky did not appear in Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Monday after he was charged over the weekend with murder, torture, deprivation of liberty and interfering with a corpse.

The 34-year-old is also accused of detaining Larissa in a vehicle against her will, as well as a dozen other charges including possessing weapons and dangerous drugs, and dangerous operation of a vehicle.

Police allege he killed Larissa sometime between June 22 and 28 after she was last seen alive by loved ones on June 15.

The matter has been adjourned for committal in Beenleigh Magistrates Court on September 3.

Outside court, Sikorsky’s lawyer Brendan Ryan said his client intended to fight the murder charge on a misadventure defence.

He suggested Larissa may have died by accident.

“The murder charge will be defended in due course and that’s going to be a lengthy process before we ever get to trial,” Mr Ryan told reporters.

He said he hoped a misadventure defence would still be open to his client once police had shared an autopsy report.

“Misadventure normally refers to circumstances relating to accidents ... that’s what I’m going to stick with.”

Larissa’s body was found inside a barrel on the back of a black ute that was abandoned on Wednesday at a residential complex at Stapylton on the northern Gold Coast.

Sikorsky was eventually tracked to a unit on the Sunshine Coast where a 28-hour siege unfolded.

He surrendered without incident on Saturday evening.