Jill Meagher, sad end to this lovely and beautiful Irish lady

A picture of Jill Meagher taken from her Facebook account, sdaly her beautiful life was abruptly cut short at the age of 29.





This crime, shock Australian and sent shock wave around the world.

A 41-year-old man Adrian Ernest Bayley, has been charged in the Melbourne Magistrates Court today charged with the rape and murder of ABC employee Jill Meagher.

Police investigating the disappearance of Ms Meagher found her body at the side of a road at Gisborne South, about 50km north-west of Melbourne.

Adrian Ernest Bayley, from Coburg, made a brief appearance in an out-of-sessions court hearing at 2:30am (AEST) and was remanded in custody to appear again later on Friday, 28th September 2012.

His arrest follows an investigation that began nearly a week ago, when Ms Meagher failed to return home after a night out with work mates in Brunswick.

ABC reporter James Bennett attended Bayley's bail hearing:

Bayley stared straight ahead as the bail justice explained to him that the allegations of rape and murder he was now facing meant she could not grant him bail.

Asked if he wanted the charges read to him, Bayley meekly replied: "No, that's fine."

When she asked him if he understood the charges that he was facing, he answered "yes" in a barely audible whisper.

Police held a late-night media briefing following Bayley's arrest.

It appears that CCTV vision made public on Wednesday, 26th September played a major role in the arrest.

In the vision Ms Meagher can be seen talking to a man wearing a blue hooded jumper as she walked along Sydney Road in the early hours of Saturday morning, 19th September 2012.

Police also said the extensive social media campaign to find Ms Meagher had helped in the investigation.

Ms Meagher's uncle, Michael McKeon, has released a statement on behalf of her family in Ireland.

"We are devastated. We are heartbroken," he said.

"She was the first grandchild my mother had, and her aunties, uncles and cousins are powerless to describe their loss.

"There are no words to describe how we feel at what has happened."

ABC managing director Mark Scott says the police announcement is devastating news for Ms Meagher's family, her friends and her many colleagues at the ABC.

He says she was an important member of the Victorian radio team and a vibrant presence at 774 Melbourne.

"She was widely known, universally respected and much loved, with a great career ahead of her," Mr Scott said.

"Our thoughts are with Jill's husband, Tom, her family and her friends.

"I know that ABC staff everywhere will want to send their love and support to Jill's colleagues who have endured such a terrible week only to face the reality of her loss."

ABC Victoria's local content manager, Cath Hurley, says Local Radio Victoria is deeply saddened by the tragic news.

"Our thoughts go out to Jill's family and friends, so devastated by the passing of this wonderful young woman," Hurley said.

"She was witty, intelligent and great company. Her friends and workmates at the ABC will miss her greatly."

774 ABC presenter Jon Faine paid tribute to his friend and colleague at the start of his show, saying her legacy is important.

"Jill's death must not come to define us. That is not what it is like to live in the Melbourne we know," he said.

"This is an exceptionally rare event. Its randomness is part of what is so incomprehensible about it."

Last moments

Police have been piecing together the last-known whereabouts of Ms Meagher since Friday night, when she declined an offer from a colleague for a lift home and said she would instead make the five-minute walk by herself.

CCTV footage shows Ms Meagher walking towards the apartment she shared with her husband Tom at 1:41am.

Six other people can also be seen in the footage, including the man in the blue hoodie.

Earlier on Thursday, another man seen in the CCTV footage, Dan Gregson, came forward after recognising himself in the vision.

He told police he did not remember seeing Ms Meagher.

On Monday a passer-by found Ms Meagher's handbag in an alley off Hope Street, not far from where she was last seen.

But on Tuesday police said the bag had not been seen during an earlier police search and they were investigating whether the bag was planted by someone involved in her disappearance.

Later that day forensic police conducted several searches of Ms Meagher's apartment and took a number of items away in sealed brown paper bags.

Tom Meagher made several appeals over the weekend for information on his wife's whereabouts and said he was going through "hell".

Family and friends had also created a Facebook page in the hope of finding Ms Meagher.

She was an Irish national who had been living in Australia for the past three years.

THE man charged with the rape and murder of ABC Radio employee Jill Meagher is a father of four who once worked as a pastry chef and has a history of using prostitutes.


The monster called Adrian Ernest Bayley

Adrian Ernest Bayley, who was known as Adrian Edwards before he legally changed his name 12 years ago, had been living in a granny flat in a quiet, tree-lined street of Coburg in Melbourne's north before his arrest on Thursday.

As neighbours yesterday expressed their shock at discovering the man they had seen but had rarely, if ever, spoken to had been charged over Ms Meagher's abduction and death, details began to emerge about Mr Bayley's life.

The 41-year-old had an emotionally and physically abusive childhood, and a violent and fractured relationship with his father for many years.

He did an apprenticeship as a pastry chef and has found work in that role over the years.
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Mr Bayley married at the age of 18 when his partner fell pregnant and the couple had two children before separating in 1995.

Mr Bayley then began a new relationship which also produced two children.

Within a few years, he began to visit the prostitutes in Melbourne's red-light district of St Kilda.

Mr Bayley had been living in Coburg for only a few months, after moving from the outer western suburb of Wyndham Vale.