Irma Palasics was allegedly murdered in 1999 when she was 72. Photo: Supplied.
One of the two men accused of being behind a cold case murder has failed in his attempt to be released from custody on bail.
Joseph Vekony and Steve Fabriczy, both now aged 70, are accused of murdering 72-year-old Irma Palasics at her home in McKellar on 6 November 1999.
They entered pleas of not guilty and have been in custody awaiting a trial in the ACT Supreme Court, which has been scheduled for 2026.
Mr Vekony applied for bail on Friday (31 October), but had to demonstrate special or exceptional circumstances existed in his case to favour the granting of bail due to the seriousness of his murder charge.
His barrister, Travis Jackson, said he had a complex medical history and faced “a long list of issues”.
Mr Jackson said his client used a mobility walker and had general pain in a part of his body where he’d received surgery.
He urged the court to find prison would be more onerous for his client due to these conditions.
However, prosecutor Morgan Howe said it appeared Mr Vekony was receiving the same level of healthcare as he would if he were in the community.
He said the reality was that as a 70-year-old man in custody, prison was not going to be a comfortable experience for him.
Justice David Mossop said while Mr Vekony was recovering from liver cancer, there was limited evidence available to the court on this condition aside from how he had apparently undergone a successful surgery.
The evidence showed he was getting detailed medical care at the Alexander Maconochie Centre, he said.
Justice Mossop didn’t find that any special or exceptional circumstances had been established and dismissed the bail application.
The matter will return to court for the trial.
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