A 37-year-old man is expected to appear in court in Canberra to be charged with murder and arson following the death of Kylee McHugh, 46, whose body was found after a fire at her flat. The case matters as it brings a months-long homicide investigation to a significant stage, with police having treated the death as suspicious from the outset and now moving to lay charges.

Ms McHugh was discovered at her unit in Osborne Place, in the Belconnen suburb of Canberra, at around 6.40am on 18 May, after emergency services responded to reports of a fire. Acting Detective Inspector Chris Watson had described the incident as suspicious in May and appealed for anyone who had contact with Ms McHugh in the three days before her death to come forward. The man was arrested after the investigation, and police are expected to provide a further update alongside his court appearance on Tuesday.