Grandmother bashing murder case progressing to trial on hold

"This has been an investigation that has gone on for some 20 years," prosecutor Trent Hickey told the ACT Magistrates Court on Thursday.

"There's still a large amount of material to come."

Mr Hickey said it was "unrealistic" his office could be across recently disclosed material and it would be inappropriate to commit the highly-publicised case to a higher court without a completed brief of evidence.

The men accused of fatally bashing 73-year-old Irma Palasics in her McKellar home in November 1999 were both present in court for the debate, alongside many of the deceased woman's family.

Steve Fabriczy and Joseph Vekony, both 68, have each denied murdering Mrs Palasics 24 years ago as part of a violent burglary which allegedly netted them $30,000 worth of cash and jewellery.

The pair each face a slate of further charges relating to the alleged home invasion, including armed robbery, unlawfully confining a person, aggravated burglary, and assault.

On Thursday, defence lawyer Travis Jackson, representing Vekony, said proceedings were taking too long, citing his client being in custody and his estimation that a "long trial" may not occur until 2026.

The prosecutor responded: "If my friend wants to make an application for bail, he's welcome to do that in this court or the next court."

Neither of the alleged offenders have applied for conditional release in the ACT after being extradited from Victoria following their respective arrests last year.

The hunt for two people who brutally bashed Mrs Palasics and her husband Gregor, who survived, had been one of the territory's longest running police investigations.

Police made a major breakthrough a few years ago when they matched Fabriczy's DNA through the National Crime Investigation DNA database.

Tom Tiffen, representing Fabriczy, said police had enough evidence to arrest his client and, six months later, any review of material could be done as the case progressed.

"There's no good reason for it to stay in this court for that to be done," he said.

The prosecutor said his office was still waiting for numerous hours of transcripts to be translated, with only two people on the Australian east coast qualified to do so.

Registrar Helen Banks ultimately granted a two-week adjournment for the case but noted it would need to go before a magistrate for any further delay applications.

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"I don't want there to be a misunderstanding there will be a full brief," Mr Hickey said about the case's next mention in court.

Allegations against Fabriczy and Vekony have been previously heard in court, including that they initially burgled the couple's home, this time in Red Hill, a year earlier.

At the McKellar house, Mrs and Mrs Palasics were allegedly restrained with cable ties, duct tape and a telephone cord, and were viciously beaten before their home was ransacked.

The grandmother died from her injuries.

The case is set to return to court later this month.