A MAN accused of murdering a well-known Quambatook resident is facing additional violence-related charges
Brian Barnes, 67, appeared via video link from Thomas Embling Hospital with visible facial injuries, including a swollen nose and bruised eye, during a hearing on Tuesday.
He has been charged with assaulting another inmate while in custody.
Barnes is accused of murdering grandmother Merril Kelly, whose body was found near the old Quambatook cemetery amid a grass fire on January 21.
Mrs Kelly served as secretary of the Quambatook Community Development Association and was involved in several local groups, including the Amity Club.
During Tuesday’s court appearance at Bendigo, Barnes expressed frustration with his legal representation, claiming he had never spoken to his new lawyer and accusing previous legal aid lawyers of ignoring his instructions.
Magistrate Jarrod Williams cut off Barnes’ repeated attempts to speak and adjourned all matters to July 23 to allow the prosecution time to serve outstanding evidence, including a medical examiner’s report.
Barnes was transferred to the secure forensic facility on April 23 for involuntary psychiatric treatment, though he told the court, “there is nothing wrong with me”.
The committal hearing for the murder charge is scheduled for July.
