Accused rapist and child murderer Bowe Maddigan pleads not guilty
The family of Zoe Buttigieg has broken down in a crowded courtroom as Bowe Maddigan told the court he was not guilty of raping and murdering the 11-year-old school girl.
Magistrate Jonathan Klestadt committed the 30-year-old Mildura man to stand trial in the Supreme Court, as a three-day hearing in Wangaratta ended on Friday.
An unmoved Maddigan stood expressionless and stared straight ahead when he entered his not guilty plea to one count of murder and two counts of sexual assault.
The shock admission was the first time he has spoken during the proceedings.
Two members of Zoe’s family were in the public gallery, after her mother had earlier given evidence via video link on the first day of court.
The case was adjourned for a directions hearing in Melbourne Supreme Court on May 13, with a trial date to be set at a later time.
Only yesterday a psychiatrist told the court that Maddigan was only pretending to be mentally unwell following his dramatic arrest.
The Wangaratta schoolgirl was found dead last October, after her mother had friends over to their house for an all-night alcohol and cannabis-fuelled party.
After drinking bourbon and coke for 12 hours straight, Janelle Saunders went to bed at 7am and woke four hours later, when she discovered her daughter’s lifeless body.
Zoe had been brutally raped and murdered.
The Wangaratta Magistrates Court heard that Maddigan had been drinking and smoking cannabis with the schoolgirl's mother and their friends in a marathon all-night session last year.
Zoe was sleeping in the lounge room while they partied.
Ms Saunders had met 30-year-old Maddigan a week earlier through a mutual friend.
"He was full of stories and he was just rambling and rambling and you couldn't get a word in,” she told the court.
Nobody saw Maddigan in the house after 5am that morning, and only hours later he was arrested, found walking barefoot along the Hume Highway.
The court heard the committal hearing will focus on Maddigan's mental state at the time of the murder.
One police officer said he appeared dazed and his behaviour was unpredictable when he was arrested.
Another officer told the court Maddigan threw a hot coffee in his own face, then yelled, “who did that?”.
Last year Zoe's family released a statement saying they "are overwhelmed by the community support and would like to say a huge thank you to those who organised and attended the vigil."
Zoe's godmother, Jenny Zahra, spoke of an 11-year-old girl who was beginning to take an interest in fashion, and had a passion for cooking.
She was an athletic child, who excelled at running, discus, and netball. She loved dogs, particularly her black Staffordshire Terrier, Jax.
"Zozo was carefree and innocent. A happy child who always had a smile on her face," Ms Zahra said.
She said Zoe loved music, and would sing and dance in front of her bedroom mirror, wearing headphones.
"Her dream was eventually to star on X Factor."
News break – May 6
