Two people have been charged with murder over the death of a man whose body was found in a wheelie bin in Preston last month.
Homicide squad detectives on Thursday charged a 35-year-old Preston man and a 26-year-old Preston woman with murdering Ashley Phillips.
More Victoria News Videos
- Video duration
- 00:24
Two people charged of Preston bin murder
Two people charged of Preston bin murder
A man and a woman from Preston have been charged with the muder of 44-year-old Ashley Phillips.
Up Next
Suspected drug overdoses in King Street club
- Video duration
- 00:19
- Video duration
- 00:19
Suspected drug overdoses in King Street ...
Suspected drug overdoses in King Street club
Three people, including a teenage boy, have been hospitalised after overdosing on a suspected bad batch of drugs along a popular Melbourne party strip.
Up Next
Incredible footage of Antarctica's tallest mountain
- Video duration
- 02:13
- Video duration
- 02:13
Incredible footage of Antarctica's ...
Incredible footage of Antarctica's tallest mountain
This astonishing drone footage was shot at the summit of Antarctica's tallest mountain by Melbourne-based adventurer Liam Suckling.
Up Next
New security measures for Melbourne's CBD
- Video duration
- 00:25
- Video duration
- 00:25
New security measures for Melbourne's CBD
New security measures for Melbourne's CBD
Concrete bollards are being placed around Melbourne's CBD as a response to recent terrorism threats.
Up Next
Hitchcock attacker unlikely to be charged
- Video duration
- 00:39
- Video duration
- 00:39
Hitchcock attacker unlikely to be charged
Hitchcock attacker unlikely to be charged
Nearly a fortnight after a bruised and bloodied Shari Lea Hitchcock took to social media accusing a man she knows of causing her horrific injuries, it now appears police are unlikely to lay any charges against the man Hitchcock named as the culprit.
Up Next
Bail changes for terror offenders
- Video duration
- 01:52
- Video duration
- 01:52
Bail changes for terror offenders
Bail changes for terror offenders
Serious offenders could be held in preventative detention under extreme anti-terror measures floated by Victoria's Premier in the wake of this week's deadly Brighton siege. Vision courtesy Seven News Melbourne.
Up Next
Turnbull v Andrews
- Video duration
- 02:40
- Video duration
- 02:40
Turnbull v Andrews
Turnbull v Andrews
The Prime Minister and first Ministers have agreed to tighten parole laws for those with terror links but the Victorian Premier wants to go even further.
Up Next
Police raid northern suburbs properties
- Video duration
- 01:33
- Video duration
- 01:33
Police raid northern suburbs properties
Police raid northern suburbs properties
Special Operations Group, ASIO and Australian Federal Police executed three warrants in Melbourne's northern suburbs.
Two people charged of Preston bin murder
A man and a woman from Preston have been charged with the muder of 44-year-old Ashley Phillips.
They have been remanded to appear before the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Friday.
Mr Phillips' body was found by a garbage truck driver who was emptying the recycling bin just after 8am on May 28.
The bin had been left on the corner of Butler and Young streets in the early hours of the day before. A resident noticed it shouldn't have been left out for collection on that day and called the council.
The garbage truck driver's screams when he discovered the body were heard throughout the street.
Mr Phillips' mother, whom he lived with in Broadmeadows, reported him missing to police on the Tuesday before the body was found.
Despite the report to police, a friend said she had contacted him via text on Thursday morning and he had commented on a friend's photo on Facebook at 11.30 that night.
Police had released a photo of the Korean pop band T-shirt Mr Phillips was wearing in an effort to identify him.
It is believed his mother recognised the shirt and contacted detectives.
Mr Phillips had been given the shirt last year when he was working with an events company that set up for concerts. More recently, he had been working for an aquarium wholesaler.
He was Mrs Phillips' only son. His father, Wayne Phillips, died in 2009.
Mr Phillips' relatives and friends were at loss to explain the motive behind the violent crime, saying the 44-year-old was kind-hearted and joyful, and had an "incredible" ability to recognise car makes and models.
"He was quiet, shy, extremely loving and a caring person who always wore a constant smile," cousin Mick Hammer said.
"He was harmless," friend Jake Clements said.
"I don't understand who would want to hurt him. He made a safe place for a lot of us young ones who needed it and tried to guide us in the right direction ... but he was always taken advantage of."
He was also a man who wanted a fresh start, one close friend said.
"He did not deserve this, nor does anyone," she said.
She said the 44-year-old had been clean for more than seven months and hit out at suggestions in the days after his body was discovered that he had been dealing drugs.
Several friends said they believed Mr Phillips was not dealing and had stopped using ice. They said he was still smoking marijuana.
"It's possible people can change, but the public will always hold on to the fact he was on drugs, so his life doesn't matter," the close friend said.
"He was trying to clean up his behaviour, remove negative people in his life that weren't supportive or good influences and try to become a member of society that people look up to and respect.
"How someone could do this to him and in the nature ... the way his body was left actually makes me physically ill."