Isla Bell death: man previously accused of killing Melbourne teen loses bid to have final charge dropped | Victoria

The man previously accused of murdering 19-year-old Melbourne woman Isla Bell has failed in his attempt to drop the latest charge against him over her death.

Marat Ganiev, 55, was originally charged with Bell’s murder after Bell’s remains were found in a bag in a Dandenong dump on November 20, 2024, about six weeks after the night police believed Bell died.

Ganiev was charged with Bell’s murder on October 7, 2024. Police allege he killed the young woman at his St Kilda property and placed her body in a fridge, which was then wrapped in plastic and tape, removed by a second man and driven around Melbourne for days before being dumped.

Ganiev’s charge was later reduced to manslaughter, and in May, a week before his scheduled trial, the charge was withdrawn entirely after prosecutors said they did not have enough evidence. Ganiev was later charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice.

On July 14, Ganiev appealed to the high court for a permanent postponement of his case; His lawyer argued that the prosecutor’s office’s decision to prepare a new indictment a week before the hearing was an abuse of process.

Judge James Elliott disagreed Friday and found that prosecutors had the right to file a new indictment.

“Nothing has emerged that would prevent Mr. Ganiev from receiving a fair trial,” the judge said.

A new prosecutor has been hired to handle the Ganiev case, Elliott said, and he clearly has a different view of the evidence.

“The prosecution has the right to reconsider the case,” Elliot said. “Doing so is a constant necessity.”

Elliott said applications to permanently stay a case are rarely successful and that the court is interested in preserving the integrity of its processes.

Ganiev, who watched Friday’s hearing via video link, showed little emotion as the verdict was announced. He will return to the high court for a directions hearing in August.

Bell’s family, friends and supporters filled the courtroom and there were small gasps as Elliott delivered his verdict.

Speaking outside court, Bell’s mother Justine Spokes told reporters she could not comment on the outcome.

“This is so grueling and my heart hurts,” she said through tears.

Ganiev’s co-defendant, Eyal Yaffe, 59, was initially charged with aiding a criminal and attempting to pervert the course of justice, but prosecutors dropped both charges and Ganiev was released on May 12.

The decision to downgrade and drop the previous charges devastated Bell’s family, friends and supporters.

They were demanding reform of the justice system, meeting outside the Victorian state library in May after prosecutors dropped the manslaughter charge, and outside the court on July 14, when Ganiev applied for a stay of prosecution.

With additional reporting from the Australian Associated Press