A fisherman accused of stabbing a French national to death in the outback will be found not guilty of murder on mental health grounds.
Philippe Jegouzo, 33, was brutally stabbed in the neck in front of his wife, Aurelie Courier, then 30, by Pande Veleski after they exchanged small-talk.
The French couple’s 1998 Toyota RAV4 stopped at a Conners Well truck stop about 100km north of Alice Springs on November 30, 2016 in the outback where Veleski pulled up behind them.
Peter Veleski (pictured), accused of stabbing a Frenchman to death in the outback will be found not guilty of murder on mental health grounds
In a desperate attempt to save her husband, Ms Courier began hitting Veleski over the head with a picnic chair before he escaped in a Hyundai i30 following the unprovoked attack.
Mr Jegouzo’s wife flagged down the help of a nurse and her partner travelling to Ti Tree, north of Connors Well.
The nurse stayed with the couple while her husband traveled to the nearest roadhouse to call emergency services at around 5.30pm.
Veleski – who has a history of mental illness according to relatives – fled into bush land on foot overnight after police located his vehicle.
He was arrested naked around 8:30am the next day, 60km from Ti Tree, after an overnight manhunt by police.
![The French couples 1998 Toyota RAV4 stopped at a Conners Well truck stop about 100km north of Alice Springs in 2016 where Veleski pulled up behind them and exchanged smalltalk](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/07/30/07/4EAF04DF00000578-6005841-The_French_couples_1998_Toyota_RAV4_stopped_at_a_Conners_Well_tr-a-1_1532932692303.jpg)
The French couples 1998 Toyota RAV4 stopped at a Conners Well truck stop about 100km north of Alice Springs in 2016 where Veleski pulled up behind them and exchanged smalltalk
![Philippe Jegouzo, 33, was brutally stabbed in the neck in front of his wife, Aurelie Courier, then 30 by Mr Veleski.](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/07/30/06/4EAF04D700000578-6005841-image-a-14_1532928654981.jpg)
Philippe Jegouzo, 33, was brutally stabbed in the neck in front of his wife, Aurelie Courier, then 30 by Mr Veleski.
The pre-trial mention before chief Justice Grant took place on Monday morning in the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory.
Pande Veleski appeared via video-link from the Alice Springs Vulnerable Witness Room where it was heard that the Crown would agree to the not guilty plea.
Crown Prosecutor Stephen Robson informed the court a psychiatric assessment commissioned by the prosecution came to a similar conclusion as an earlier report by Veleski’s legal team.
![The pre-trial mention before chief Justice Grant occurred on Monday morning at 9am in the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/07/30/09/4EAF04F300000578-6005841-The_pre_trial_mention_before_chief_Justice_Grant_occurred_on_Mon-a-1_1532938429595.jpg)
The pre-trial mention before chief Justice Grant occurred on Monday morning at 9am in the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory
Veleski, a Melbourne father of one, will enter a not-guilty plead in Darwin as the French victim’s family planned to visit Australia for the hearing.
As well as murder, Veleski was also charged with two counts of assaulting police and one count of escaping lawful custody.
His relatives believes he fled to the Northern Territory over fears the police wanted to arrest him after his home was invaded.
The fisherman is still being held in custody.
Homicide detectives believe the couple and suspect were the only three people in the remote area at the time of the attack.
‘We believe at this time the only persons at the roadside stop were the male person, who is now deceased, and his wife,’ Detective Superintendent Travis Wurst said at the time of the attack.
‘The only other person that was believed to have been present was the person who is considered to be the attacker. We understand there were no other people present.’
!['We believe at this time the only persons at the roadside stop were the male person, who is now deceased, and his wife,' Detective Superintendent Travis Wurst (pictured) said at the time of the attack](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/07/30/07/4EAF04EB00000578-6005841-_We_believe_at_this_time_the_only_persons_at_the_roadside_stop_w-a-3_1532932692780.jpg)
‘We believe at this time the only persons at the roadside stop were the male person, who is now deceased, and his wife,’ Detective Superintendent Travis Wurst (pictured) said at the time of the attack
The details of the shocking murder resemble a similar attack in Australia’s red centre in 2001.
Peter Falconio – who was murdered by Bradley John Murdoch 17 years ago was also travelling with his partner in the Northern Territory when he was attacked.
The British man, then 28, and his girlfriend Joanne Lees were directed to pull over on the night of July 14, 2001 to be told there was a problem with their Kombi.
Falconio went to the back of the car to check it out and was never seen again.
Ms Lees said she heard a gunshot and was then tied up by Murdoch but managed to escape and flag down help after hiding in the bush for hours.
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