A man charged with his girlfriend's murder has pleaded not guilty as a magistrate committed him to stand trial over the alleged killing.
Nikkita Azzopardi was found dead at her South Morang home, in Melbourne's northeast, on October 28, 2024.
The 35-year-old woman's family found her body following a welfare check.
Her boyfriend Joel Micallef, 33, was charged with murder the following day, but he did not face court for his first appearance as he was in hospital.
During his second hearing on Wednesday, Micallef appeared at Melbourne Magistrates Court via video link from prison dressed in a green T-shirt.
Magistrate Leon Fluxman told him there was enough evidence in the hand-up brief to commit Micallef to stand trial in the Supreme Court.
"In relation to the single charge that you face, do you plead guilty or not guilty?" the magistrate asked Micallef.
The accused killer's first response could not be heard in the court room, forcing Mr Fluxman to ask him to move closer to the camera and repeat his plea.
"Not guilty," Micallef told the court.
Micallef was remanded in custody and will face a directions hearing at Melbourne's Supreme Court on March 21.
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