Prosecutors have alleged a jealous man murdered a woman he'd dated for a few weeks, later using his phone to search the term: "How many years for killing a person in Australia?"
Joon Seong Tan is accused of murdering Ju "Kelly" Zhang in her Epping home in February 2021, before dumping her body in a household rubbish bin the following day.
The remains were found about four months later, when investigators searched a landfill in Wollert, in Melbourne's northern outskirts.
On the opening day of his Supreme Court trial, Mr Tan pleaded not guilty to murdering the mother-of-one, who he met on an online dating site a month before her disappearance.
Prosecutor Jeremy McWilliams said Mr Tan was "very much infatuated" with Ms Zhang, referring to her as his "wife" even though they had only been going out for a few weeks.
But Ms Zhang did not reciprocate those feelings, the prosecutor told the court, and had instead struck up a new romantic relationship with another man.
Mr McWilliams said Mr Tan became aware of the man and went over to Ms Zhang's house on the evening of February 1.
While Ms Zhang's young son was in another room, prosecutors allege Mr Tan assaulted and stabbed the young mother to death as she sat on her bed.
When Ms Zhang was reported missing, Mr Tan told police she had walked out of the house wearing a pink dressing gown, pyjamas and slippers.
The court was told five days after the alleged murder, Ms Tan used his phone to search the terms: "How many years for killing a person in Australia?" and "How is stinky garbage disposed in Australia?"
Mr Tan was arrested on February 8 at the Melbourne Airport domestic terminal, as he prepared to board a flight to Adelaide.
Accused attempted to cover up murder, court told
Prosecutors allege Mr Tan tried to cover up the murder, calling his housemate on the night of Ms Zhang's death and asking him to come to Epping.
When his housemate arrived, Mr Tan allegedly asked him to help dispose of Ms Zhang's remains, which were in a laundry cupboard.
"Quickly, the body is getting stinky," Mr Tan is alleged to have said.
Mr McWilliams said the housemate left without helping, and then received 90 missed calls from Mr Tan over the following 24 hours.
The prosecutor said Mr Tan placed Ms Zhang's body in her wheelie bin and drove it to Heidelberg, where the rubbish collection was due to be completed the following day.
He returned to the Epping home, took Ms Zhang's son to school on February 2, and then allegedly went back to the Heidelberg street to witness a rubbish truck empty the bin.
Mr Tan is accused of bringing the bin back to Epping and scrubbing it clean.
Accused denies killing Ms Zhang, lawyers tell court
Ms Zhang's remains were eventually found at the Wollert tip in mid-June 2021. She was wrapped in a blanket and was wearing a pink dressing gown.
Mr McWilliams said an autopsy was unable to identify a cause of death, but pathologists confirmed Ms Zhang had numerous bruises and had been stabbed multiple times, including through the heart.
"This is plainly a case of murder," Mr McWilliams told the court.
"He was angry at her. He discovered she was seeing another man."
However, Mr Tan's defence lawyer Greg Hughan said his client denied killing Ms Zhang or disposing of her body, and rejected suggestions his client was aware Ms Zhang was dating another man.
"[Mr Tan] tried to find her by going out looking for her and trying to contact her," he said.
The trial, before Justice Mandy Fox, continues.
