Isla Bell death: Man Fails to Have Final Charge Dropped in Melbourne Case
A man previously accused of killing Melbourne teenager Isla Bell has lost a bid to have a charge of attempting to pervert the course of justice permanently stayed. The judge ruled the prosecution was entitled to file a new indictment.
Marat Ganiev, 55, has failed in his attempt to have the charge of attempting to pervert the course of justice against him permanently dropped. The charge relates to the death of 19-year-old Isla Bell, whose remains were discovered in a rubbish tip in Dandenong in November 2024, about six weeks after the night police believe she died.
Ganiev was originally charged with murdering Bell on October 7, 2024. Police alleged that he killed her 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. However, the murder charge was later reduced to manslaughter, and in May, prosecutors withdrew that charge entirely due to insufficient evidence, just a week before the scheduled trial.
Shortly after, Ganiev was charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice. His legal team applied to the Supreme Court on July 14 for a permanent stay of proceedings, arguing that filing a new indictment so close to the trial was an abuse of process.
On Friday, Justice James Elliott rejected the application. He found that prosecutors were within their rights to file a fresh indictment and that nothing would prevent Ganiev from receiving a fair trial. The judge noted that a new prosecutor had taken over the case and formed a different view of the evidence. He also stated that applications for permanent stays rarely succeed and that the court must protect the integrity of its processes.
Ganiev showed little emotion during the hearing via video link. He is due back in court for a directions hearing in August. Bell's family and supporters were present in the courtroom; the decision drew gasps. Outside court, her mother Justine Spokes tearfully said she could not comment on the outcome but described the process as grueling.
Ganiev's co-accused, Eyal Yaffe, 59, had previously been charged with assisting an offender and attempting to pervert the course of justice, but those charges were withdrawn in May, and he was released.
The family has been actively calling for justice system reform, holding rallies after the earlier charges were dropped and again in July when Ganiev sought the stay.
