Man charged with murdering his sister declines court and bail
The father of a Western Sydney artist allegedly killed by her older brother said he never imagined his own son would end up being charged with his daughter’s murder.
Lucas Delaney, 30, was arrested on Tuesday morning, less than 24 hours after the body of his sister, Gabriella Delaney, 20, was found inside their shared Cambridge Park townhouse in Western Sydney.
On Wednesday, Lucas chose not to appear on screen in Parramatta Court and did not apply for bail. He will remain behind bars until August 7 when his case is mentioned again.
The siblings’ parents, who live in Western Australia, called NSW Police after failing to hear from Gabriella since June 3.
Officers discovered Gabriella in a “very confronting” crime scene on Monday night, Detective Inspector Jason Pietruszka said.
“The cause of death at the moment is being investigated,” he said.
“We do believe unfortunately that it is foul play and it is being investigated as a homicide.”
Court documents state that Lucas is being charged with the “murder (domestic violence)” of Gabriella on June 3.
Lucas had checked into a mental-health facility at Cumberland Hospital in the days after he allegedly murdered his sister.
In a Facebook comment, the siblings’ father Ross Delaney said he and his wife Brenda “know as much as the media is telling us ATM … feeling numb and confused really”.
Gabriella, an aspiring Indigenous painter, was studying a Bachelor of Design (Visual Communication) at Western Sydney University before she died.
A fried, Kyle Plant, paid tribute to the late student in a Facebook post.
“I am still trying to piece together how something like this could happen to someone I knew. Someone so kind. Someone so gentle,” Plant wrote.
“Gabriella Delaney was an amazing human-being. Hardworking, creative, funny, sporty, so kind hearted and a genuinely great person. We honestly need more people like her in this world not less. Rest In Peace.”
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