Kiwi woman killed in Australia

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An Australian man has been accused of murder after police found the body of a New Zealand woman inside his home.

Adam John Kennedy, 24, was refused bail and charged with murder and traffic, drug and firearm offences, the Coffs Coast Advocate reported. He appeared in the Port Macquarie Local Court this week via audio visual link from jail.

Police this week conducted an autopsy on the 43-year-old woman, a New Zealand national, who suffered serious head injuries prior to her death.

Her name had not been officially released at the time of publication and detectives are yet to tender a brief of facts to the court.

Police allege Kennedy attacked and killed the woman, prior to the discovery of her body inside the Kookaburra Ln home on Friday at 3.15am.

The gruesome find came almost an hour after Kennedy was stopped by police driving a blue Holden Commodore on the Pacific Highway near Taree.

Police allege the vehicle came under notice after other motorists reported it being driven erratically.

Kennedy failed a roadside breath test and was taken to Taree Police Station, police allege.

It's alleged subsequent inquiries led investigators to Kennedy's home where the woman's body was found.

As he was interviewed and charged police established crime scenes at the Bowraville property and at the woman's Toormina home, as detectives determined a timeline of events prior to her death.

In addition to murder, Kennedy is charged with high-range drink driving, drive whilst disqualified, escape police custody, supply a prohibited drug, possess a prohibited drug, possess an unauthorised firearm, not keep a firearm safely, possess authorised ammunition and deal with the suspected proceeds of crime.

He is due to reappear in Port Macquarie Local Court on June 21.

- The Coffs Coast Advocate