A man who allegedly murdered his mother before stabbing her cat and setting fire to her southwestern Sydney home has appeared before court for the first time.
Troy Safranko fronted Bankstown Local Court on Tuesday charged with murdering his mother, Katherine Safranko, at their home in Bankstown on Sunday.
Emergency services were called to the house on Wattle St about 7pm following reports of a small fire before finding Ms Safranko with significant head injuries.
The 67-year-old was treated at the scene by paramedics but was declared dead. A small fire at the rear of the home was extinguished by firefighters.
Police allege Mr Safranko, 31, confronted police while armed with a knife after officers arrived at the property. He was tasered by officers before being arrested.
Police allege Mr Safranko stabbed his mother before killing the “family pet cat” and setting the house on fire. He is also charged with breaching an apprehended violence order.
Lawyer Mostafa Daoudie told magistrate Glenn Walsh at Bankstown court on Tuesday that Mr Safranko, who did not appear in person or via AVL, would not apply for bail.
The police prosecutor told the court that Mr Safranko’s previous bail had been revoked and a detention application had been sought before his court appearance on Tuesday.
The allegations against Mr Safranko were revealed in documents tendered to court, shedding new light on what police allege happened in Ms Safranko’s final days.
Police allege Mr Safranko assaulted his mother occasioning actual bodily harm and intentionally choked her shortly before 7am on September 29 at Bankstown.
Mr Safranko, whose listed address is the Wattle St property, was arrested in the early hours of September 30 before being granted bail that day at Parramatta court.
He was ordered by the court not to enter his mother’s address and instead reside at a Wilkins St home but soon after allegedly breached a court order.
At 7.02pm, police allege Mr Safranko contravened an AVO prohibiting him from entering his mother’s home on Sunday evening.
Mr Safranko was taken to hospital for health assessment following his arrest and has not entered pleas for any of his charges.
He is also charged with torturing and causing death to an animal, damaging property by fire, and breaching his bail and AVO conditions.
Mr Safranko will reappear before the same court on October 18 before returning on November 29 for the more serious charges.