Not guilty plea to shooting
Court date for man charged with murdering brother
A MAN accused of shooting dead his younger brother in Geelong last year has pleaded not guilty to murder.
Haig Jacob Arslanian, 39, of Whittington, appeared via video link at Geelong Magistrates Court on Friday when he entered the plea.
Mr Arslanian is accused of murdering his 31-year-old brother, David Arslanian, at the family’s Boundary Road home on October 5, 2020.
The parents of the two men were among family members who attended court for the brief hearing. Mr Arslanian, who appeared from Port Phillip Prison, has been in custody since his arrest the morning after the alleged shooting following an overnight manhunt.
He spoke only briefly during the hearing and, when asked to state his plea to the murder charge, replied: “Not guilty.”
Magistrate Jelena Popovic said she was satisfied there was sufficient evidence to commit Mr Arslanian to the Supreme Court.
Before adjourning the case, she turned to family members in the courtroom and told them: “My heart goes out to you all.”
Before the alleged murder, David Arslanian was an award-winning butcher who managed Belmont Finest Meats and Poultry on High Street.
His death prompted a wave of shock and grief from friends who recalled him as a man with a “heart of gold”.
“Rest easy big fella … I still can’t believe that your (sic) gone,” Tyson Whistance said on social media last October.
“You were such a kind and thoughtful guy. We love you and we will miss you dearly and our deepest condolences to your mum and dad and family.”
At an initial court hearing following Mr Arslanian’s arrest, his lawyer said the accused killer was diagnosed with schizophrenia and had gone days without his medication.
It was later revealed that his legal team had arranged a psychologist to assess Mr Arslanian to gain an understanding of how the brain impacted behaviour.
Mr Arslanian has been remanded in custody for a directions hearing at the Supreme Court in Melbourne on June 2.
He also faces weapon and drug offences, including trafficking cannabis, which will return to Geelong Magistrates Court later this year.