A MAN accused of murdering and sexually assaulting a three-month-old girl at Hamilton South last year has pleaded not guilty and will face a trial in Newcastle Supreme Court.
Tre James Rudolph, 25, appeared in Newcastle Local Court on Wednesday via audio visual link from Parklea Correctional Centre where he pleaded not guilty to murder and sexual intercourse with a child under the age of 10. Mr Rudolph will next appear in Sydney Supreme Court in February where he will get a trial date likely in late 2022 or early 2023 and likely in Newcastle Supreme Court.
According to police, emergency services were called to a unit in Hamilton South about 10.40am on August 4 last year after a three-month-old girl was found unresponsive.
The girl was taken to hospital but died a short time later.
Newcastle City detectives established Strike Force Giffen to investigate the baby girl's death and, after extensive inquiries, detectives went to a house at Maitland in December and arrested Mr Rudolph.
