Uncle charged with murdering student

A man accused of murdering 25-year-old international student Mengmei Leng has been formally refused bail.

Mengmei Leng

A supplied image obtained Saturday, April 30, 2016 of Chinese student Mengmei Leng. Source: AAP

A former IT worker accused of stabbing his wife's niece to death and dumping her body in waters off the NSW Central Coast has been remanded in custody.

The naked body of 25-year-old Mengmei Leng was discovered floating face down inside a blowhole at Snapper Point last weekend.

Sources close to the investigation say a post-mortem examination revealed the Chinese-born international student had suffered more than 30 stab wounds in a frenzied attack.

Ms Leng's accused killer, her 27-year-old uncle Derek Barrett, fronted Parramatta bail court via video link on Saturday charged with her murder.

Barrett, who remained silent, did not apply for bail and it was formally refused.

Ms Leng was last seen catching the train home to the southwest Sydney suburb of Campsie on Thursday afternoon, where she lived with her 48-year-old aunty and the accused since arriving in Australia five years ago.

Police will allege Barrett murdered the young woman at Campsie while his wife was away for the weekend, some time between 4.45pm on Thursday, April 21, and 10.30am on Sunday, April 24.

His next court date has been set down for Burwood Local Court on Wednesday, when he's expected to appear via video link.

Ms Leng's mother flew into Sydney on Saturday as the university student's family and friends mourn her.


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Source: AAP


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