A man has been charged with murder after the body of another man was found partially buried in Sydney’s north-west last week.
A man has been charged with murder after the body of another man was found partially buried in Sydney’s north-west last week.
By Perry Duffin and Daniel Lo Surdo
Updated March 23, 2025 — 9.39pmfirst published at 2.12pm
A man has been charged with murder after the body of a man linked to Sydney’s drug trade was found partially buried in a paddock on the city’s north-western fringe last week.
James French, 24, was arrested on Sunday afternoon after being discovered by police asleep in a vehicle outside a Glenorie home, and was charged in connection with the death of Johnny Birch, who was discovered partially buried in a paddock near a separate Glenorie home on March 14.
French has been refused bail, and will appear before court on Monday.
Police were directed to the body of Birch, 39, by a family member, who had reported him missing about 9pm the previous evening.
A manhunt had been taking place around the ordinarily quiet suburb of Dural since. Police established crime scenes at the paddock and a nearby home on the day of the body’s discovery, and specialist and forensic officers were deployed to examine the area.
The Hills Police Area Commander Superintendent Naomi Moore said police had been looking for French for several days before finding him at a home they’d previously searched as part of investigations.
“It’s an address that’s known to us and known to him … today it was part of our follow-up, we went there and located him in a vehicle sleeping on the property,” Moore said.
“These people were known to each other, it was not a random attack.”
Moore wouldn’t rule out further arrests in connection with Birch’s death.
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A relative of Birch who asked to remain anonymous said a cousin of Birch had found his body after becoming concerned for his welfare. It is unclear how long Birch’s body had been in the paddock or when he was killed.
“He’d been missing for a short time, and they went looking for him,” the relative said. “They obviously knew something about where he was going.”
The relative said Birch had served several stints in prison and had links to the drug trade. “He had a few issues,” they said. “He was a good family man but … what he did [outside] of family was a bit shaky.”
During an hours-long operation in Middle Dural on Friday, police spoke to an 80-year-old woman at an address on Old Northern Road as part of ongoing inquiries. The property was searched, but no arrests were made.
Two men, aged 24 and 34, and a 35-year-old woman were arrested at the property on March 14, but they were released without charge the following morning.
Perry Duffin is a crime reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via Twitter or email.
Daniel Lo Surdo is a reporter at The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via email.
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