The boyfriend of a woman who vanished just eight weeks into their relationship has been committed to stand trial for her murder.
Carly McBride went missing on September 30 in 2014 when she was visiting one of her children at Muswellbrook in the Hunter Valley.
The 31-year-old’s body was found two years later after detectives formed Strike Force Karabi to investigate her disappearance.
Carly McBride went missing on September 30 in 2014 when she was visiting one of her children at Muswellbrook
Muay Thai kickboxer Sayle Kenneth Newson, 40, (pictured will stand trial for her murder
Her body was found in bushland at Scone and a post-mortem revealed she died from repeated blunt force trauma.
Shortly after her body was found her boyfriend at the time of her disappearance, Muay Thai kickboxer Sayle Kenneth Newson, 40, was charged with her murder.
Mr Newson, represented by solicitor Mark Ramsland, appeared in the Newcastle Local Court on Wednesday via an audio visual link from jail, The ABC reported.
He was committed to stand trial and will appear in Sydney Supreme Court on September 7 where it’s understood he will formally plead not guilty to murder.
Originally Mr Newson’s co-accused, James Anthony Cunneen, now 27, had also been charged with murder but that was dropped on Wednesday.
He is now charged with accessory after the fact to murder.
Ms McBride, a mother-of-two, vanished in September 2014, before her remains were found in bushland (pictured) in August last year
Mr Newson, represented by solicitor Mark Ramsland, appeared in the Newcastle Local Court on Wednesday via an audio visual link from jail,
Outside the court Ms McBride’s parents, Lorraine Williams and Steve McBride, said they had been fighting for justice for their daughter since she went missing.
‘She was face of missing persons week and we were very lucky in that respect and lucky Carly didn’t remain missing.’
They said that despite Mr Cunneen’s charges being downgraded they were happy with hoe the police had handled the case.
‘Knowing the complications in the case and the size of it is incredible,’ he said.
Mr Newson (pictured) was committed to stand trial and will appear in Sydney Supreme Court on September 7 where it’s understood he will formally plead not guilty to murder
‘We think it has moved quite well and quite quickly and it may be a year or so yet before we get a final result but that’s pretty good.’
The three of them – Mr Newson, Ms McBride and Mr Cunneen – all met at the Dooralong Transformation Centre, which is a drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre in 2013.
While they all left the program at different times Ms Mcbride and Mr Newson, who bragged to police of his 20-0 kickboxing record, stayed in touch and eventually started dating.
Mr Newson would often drive her to visit her young daughter at her ex-partner’s house in Muswellbrook, which was the location she was last seen in.
It’s believed she was walking to a local fast food restaurant when she disappeared.
Ms McBride left this Belmont, NSW house on September 30 2014 and never returned
The 31-year-old’s body was found at Scone, in the Hunter Valley region of northern New South Wales (pictured)
Her Facebook account was also deleted a short time before she went missing and her phone and handbag were never recovered.
Police have alleged that she was assaulted to a point where she died and the post-mortem revealed significant blunt force trauma to her face and back of her head, which was consistent with at least two blows to the skull and two to her back.
The case against Mr Newson is entirely circumstantial as there was no blood found in his vehicle, no known witnesses to the crime, no CCTV, no DNA and police don’t know where the alleged murder occurred.
She was thought to have gone to McDonald’s, just a four-minute drive away, however police believe she never made it there