IT has been more than 830 days since a 10-year-old girl was allegedly murdered in her home at Boolaroo, her senseless death sending shockwaves through the small lakeside suburb.
And on Monday, her sister, who has since turned 20, made her first appearance in Broadmeadow Children's Court.
The young woman, who cannot be identified because she was 17 at the time of the alleged stabbing, appeared on screen from a juvenile detention centre and pleaded not guilty to murder.
Her matter was adjourned until next month when she will be arraigned in the NSW Supreme Court and get a trial date, likely in 2027.
The teenager was charged with domestic violence-related murder in the hours after she allegedly stabbed her 10-year-old sister multiple times in the upper body at their home at Boolaroo about 3.45pm on April 29, 2024.
There was no history of violence at the home and the family were not known to police.
The girl was refused bail the next day.
Since then, her matter has been mentioned in Broadmeadow Children's Court 17 times over a 27-month period as detectives served a brief of evidence, the DPP finalised the charges, the girl changed public defenders and defence lawyers explored having her psychiatrically assessed.
The matter has been at the final stage of the process before being committed to the NSW Supreme Court since at least March last year, but until Monday the girl had not entered a plea to the charge of murder.
The girls' grandmother has been in court for almost every mention, and in June last year Judge Andrew Eckhold lamented the "infuriating" delays while stressing it was important to have every detail of the case sorted before it was committed.
"I really say this for the grandmother because she is here every time and my heart breaks for her," Mr Eckhold said.
The girls' grandmother was in court again on Monday to watch as the 20-year-old appeared on screen in a blue jumper.
She had been excused from appearing in court on every other occasion and spoke only once when Judge Stephan Herridge asked her to confirm her plea.
"Not guilty," the young woman replied.
According to police, emergency services were called to the home at Boolaroo on a Monday afternoon in April 2024.
Officers found the 10-year-old girl suffering multiple stab wounds.
Paramedics tried their best to save the child's life but she could not be revived.
