A man has been charged with murder in relation to the stabbing death of a woman in a family home in Bruce last week.
Van Thanh Vu, 70, faced the ACT Magistrates Court on Friday afternoon via audio visual link from his hospital bed, where he could be seen laying down while hooked up to several wires and tubes.
Vu is accused of the stabbing murder of Thi Thuy Huong Nguyen, 65, at a home on Kinloch Circuit, Bruce, on Monday.
Vu has been in Canberra Hospital with a police guard since then after suffering knife wounds to his wrists.
In court, Legal Aid lawyer Nathan Deakes did not apply for bail for Vu, who required the assistance of an interpreter to understand proceedings.
Mr Deakes requested the court mark Vu as a prisoner at risk due to his medical condition, and "the recent attempts that he's made towards his own life".
Vu is yet to enter a plea to one count of murder. The charge has been classified as family violence.
Prosecutor Trent Hickey said family member of Vu's had requested the court impose a non-publication order on the names associated with the case.
The court heard this was due to concerns the publication of Vu's name would cause "anxiety" for the family.
Mr Hickey stated he was opposed to such an order, saying: "I'm simply raising it for your honour because no one else will."
"The harm is not such a magnitude as to justify a non-publication order," he said.
Special magistrate Sean Richter declined to suppress the names.
"The Supreme Court has emphasised that open justice is the standard in Australian courts, and that the harm that the court should consider is something beyond the normal embarrassment which affects the family of a person charged with a crime," Mr Richter said.
The case is scheduled to return to court next month.
Vu will be required to appear via audio visual link again with the court "unsure about how his condition may be at that time," Mr Richter said.
Authorities were called to Kinloch Circuit, Bruce, about 5.40pm on Monday and found a 65-year-old woman with stab wounds. She could not be revived and died at the scene.
Acting Superintendent Mark Steel previously said the daughter of the couple called police and was first on the scene.
No one else was in the house at the time of the incident.
The couple had lived together in the house together for a lengthy time, although police were not able to divulge the nature of the relationship.
The incident happened in the kitchen of the family home, where Nguyen's body was found.
"Obviously the family member suffered a great deal of trauma seeing the deceased family member at the scene," acting Superintendent Steel said.
Several neighbours have described being shocked at learning of the woman's death.
They described it as a quiet area, and those spoken to said they had not seen or heard anything until police and paramedics arrived at the scene.
- Support is available for those who may be distressed. Phone Lifeline 13 11 14; 1800-RESPECT 1800 737 732.
