A man who allegedly drove into pedestrians and cars in central Melbourne, killing a philanthropist, has been committed to stand trial.
Zain Khan appeared in Melbourne magistrates court on Monday where he was asked how he pleaded to nine charges. He answered: “I don’t know … not guilty.”
Prosecutors and his lawyer, Julia Munster, argued against media being allowed access to the brief of evidence.
After considering the circumstances of the case, magistrate Marita Altman said the brief contained witness accounts that were yet to be tested.
Khan’s defence team wanted him fast-tracked to the supreme court without a formal committal hearing during which allegations are usually aired.
“The public has as much interest in an individual’s right to a fair trial as it does in understanding and being privy to the workings of a court,” Altman said.
Media lawyers unsuccessfully argued further details should be released because the case was a matter of public interest and safety.
Khan was charged with one count of murder and three counts of attempted murder after a car was driven into pedestrians and other vehicles in Bourke Street on 8 September 2023.
A 76-year-old Brunswick man, identified in media reports as the philanthropist John Haasz, was killed and five other people were injured in the alleged rampage.
Khan’s mental health and fitness would be relevant to the case, with those managing his care aware of his issues, Munster said.
Khan, from Melton West, earlier complained in court about his “disgusting” conditions in prison and his lack of clean clothes, repeatedly interrupting the magistrate and asking to return to hospital.
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Altman formally committed Khan to trial.
He is due to appear in the supreme court of Victoria for a directions hearing on 2 February.
The incident was the city’s fourth car rampage in six years.
Six people died and 27 were injured when James Gargasoulas ploughed into a crowd after driving into Bourke Street Mall in January 2017.
In December the same year, a driver rammed pedestrians crossing on the corner of Flinders and Elizabeth streets, killing an elderly man and injuring 17 others.
In November 2018, Hassan Khalif Shire Ali parked his ute on Bourke Street and set it alight before stabbing three people, killing the Melbourne cafe owner Sisto Malaspina in a terror attack.
