A man has been charged with murder over the discovery of the body of a beloved teacher at a tip in Melbourne’s north last week.

Workers found the woman, named in media as Annette Brennan, while moving green waste at a tip in Epping on Wednesday.

Investigators believe her body was originally inside a domestic bin that was picked up outside a property in Coolaroo on Tuesday.

Brennan reportedly taught English for academic purposes online.

A 45-year-old Coolaroo man, named as Stephen Fleming, was arrested at Glenroy on Tuesday morning. He was questioned all day and charged on Tuesday night.

Victoria Police have said Brennan and Fleming are not related, but are believed to be known to each other.

The crime scene at the house in Coolaroo, Melbourne. Photo: AAP

Former English student Simona Croce told the Herald Sun she was devastated by the teacher’s death.

“She was an amazing person. She was gentle and kind – it’s such a terrible loss,” Croce said.

“It was really sad news to hear how this happened … that she was found in the bin. Honestly, I was really shocked, she didn’t deserve this.

“Other students that I took the class with are also so upset by her death. It’s really tragic news.

“I will never forget how kind she was to me. She was like a second mum because I was out here by myself from Italy and she was always checking in on me.”

Anyone who saw suspicious behaviour in Coolaroo from June 23 to July 2 has been asked to come forward.

Detectives are looking at CCTV and dashcam footage taken from the area during that time and want to speak to anyone with relevant vision.

Annette Brennan’s body was allegedly stuffed into a bin. Photo: Supplied

The discovery marks at least the third time a woman’s remains were found in a bin or tip in Victoria in recent years.

In March, the remains of 35-year-old Point Cook woman Chaithanya “Swetha” Madhagani were discovered in Buckley, south-west of Geelong.

Footage from the area showed detectives near a wheelie bin in bushes on the side of Mount Pollock Road.

At the time, Victoria Police said they wanted to speak to Madhagani’s husband, who fled to overseas.

Madhagani’s loved ones launched an online fundraiser to help her family members in India with mounting costs and to donate money to her child.

The discovery of Brennan’s body came just over three years since remains of mother Ju ‘Kelly’ Zhang were found at a landfill in Wollert, just a few kilometres away from the Epping tip.

In 2023, Zhang’s boyfriend Joon Seong Tan was found guilty of stabbing her in her bedroom in 2021 and dumping her body in a wheelie bin.

He is serving up to 28 years in jail over the murder.

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