University student charged with 'gruesome murder' of her mother denied bail.

A woman charged with bludgeoning her mother to death with a timber paling in Brisbane will remain in custody after being denied bail by the Supreme Court.

Simona Zafirovska is accused of the “gruesome” murder of her mother Radica at their home in The Gap in Brisbane’s west in October last year.

During a bail application on Tuesday, Zafirovska’s defence barrister David James argued it would be beneficial for her to be granted bail so she could assist her legal team with the case.

Mr James said Zafirovska, who is a dual Australian-Macedonian citizen, was not a flight risk because both her passports had been surrendered to authorities.

The court heard the 20-year-old university student awoke to the sound of dogs barking on the morning her mother was killed and called triple-0, telling them there were intruders in the house.

“She pulled the doona over her head and was too scared to move and heard movement near her door,” Mr James said.

He told the court his client was “significantly distressed and terrified”, and despite the murder allegation police found no blood on her when they arrived.

Mr James said the Crown’s case was circumstantial and an unidentified car was seen leaving the street on the morning of the crime.

Alleged murder weapon found in accused’s bedroom

Prosecutor Matt Hynes told the court it was not a typical case of a home invasion gone wrong.

“To say that there might be an intruder or intruders in the house seems a little far-fetched in the circumstances,” Mr Hynes said.

He told the court the alleged murder weapon, an 87-centimetre, 1.2-kilogram timber paling was found in Zafirovska’s bedroom.

He said the victim had suffered at least 20 blows.

“It was a pretty gruesome murder,” Mr Hynes said.

He said a lack of blood or DNA on Zafirovska could be explained by the nature of the alleged assault and the timeline of events.

“We don’t know how much time the applicant may have had to clean herself,” Mr Hynes said.

Justice Martin Daubney denied Zafirovska bail saying she was a risk of failing to appear in court, and on the material presented to him the Crown’s case was strong enough to go to trial.

This post originally appeared on ABC News.