A 20-year-old man accused of murdering three members of his family at their home in Perth's north-east has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.
Teancum Vernon Petersen-Crofts is alleged to have murdered his 48-year-old mother, Michelle Petersen, and two of her children — Bella, 15 and Rua, eight — whose bodies were found at the family's home in Brixton Crescent, Ellenbrook, in July last year.
Mr Petersen-Crofts appeared in the Stirling Gardens Magistrates Court today via video link from the Frankland Centre secure psychiatric facility, where he has been held since his arrest.
His lawyer, Karen Farley SC, said her client had been "unfit to plead" to the three charges against him "for quite a considerable time", but now "after a lot of treatment" he was able to enter his pleas.
The three charges were then read to him by Magistrate Janet Whitbread and he responded to each of them: "not guilty".
Ms Whitbread has committed Mr Petersen-Crofts to the Supreme Court to stand trial.
State prosecutor James Mactaggart requested a lengthy adjournment before the matter was brought back to the court, saying section 27 of the criminal code which deals with the issue of insanity "loomed large" in the case.
Ms Whitbread told the hearing she was aware of previous outbursts in court by Mr Petersen-Crofts and warned she may have to mute the sound if he behaved similarly, but he did not.
Mr Petersen-Crofts was again remanded to the Frankland psychiatric centre until his next court appearance, in the Supreme Court, next year.
