65-year-old Pericles Papadopoulos has been charged with the murder of Andonios Mirtsopoulos in the Melbourne Magistrates Court last Friday.
Papadopoulos gave himself up to police after he had murdered Mirtsopoulos in the backyard of his Thompson Street house in Clayton because of an apparent dispute about a tomato patch. Earlier yesterday, the police interviewed him at length in relation to the incident.
His lawyer, Grace Morgan, told the court it was her client’s first time in custody and he was in a poor state. She said he had long-term health issues including blood pressure and rheumatoid arthritis and had a restless night in custody.
Papadopoulos was assisted in court by a Greek interpreter before the magistrate remanded him and ordered that he undergo a psychiatric assessment.
The prosecutor has requested Papadopoulos remain in custody until February next year.