Following the discovery of Emma Bates’s, 49, body at a house in northern Victoria, a man has been prosecuted.
John Torney, Bates’s partner, was taken into custody on Wednesday. The 39-year-old was charged with common law assault, aggravated attack on a female, carelessly causing injury, intentional cause of injury, and unlawful assault, according to Victoria Police.
Torney will appear in court tonight outside of regular sessions, and the police plan to remand him so he may appear before the Shepparton Magistrates’ Court on Friday.
Torney was acquitted of the murder of Nikki Coslovich, a toddler from Mildura, almost ten years ago.
In 2015, Torney was judged not guilty of murder in relation to the death of Nikki, whose body was discovered in the family home’s roof hollow.
About 2:15 p.m. on Tuesday, emergency personnel were dispatched to a location on Campbell Road in Cobram, in the northern region of Victoria, where they discovered Bates suffering from fatal injuries to her upper torso.
It’s believed that Bates spent almost ten years residing at the home close to the NSW border.
Mark News is aware that Torney lived in the home next door and that Bates and Torney had just recently begun dating.
Mark News was informed by Bates’ neighbour that she was frequently spotted on a mobility scooter in the surrounding streets.
The woman was recalled by Bates’ previous neighbours as “a beautiful soul”.
“She always helped my elderly parents and had a huge heart, was warm and loving,” a neighbour said.
“I’m in total shock that something like this could happen to such a beautiful soul.”
Kayla, another neighbour of Bates’, remarked, “she seemed like a friendly lady”.
Premier of Victoria, Jacinta Allan, declared, “This has to stop”.
“We know as a government we need to do more, governments around the country need to do more,” Allan stated.
She stated that the cabinet has requested reports on domestic violence action from the attorney general, minister for women, and minister for family violence prevention.
It coincides with the announcement made today by NSW Premier Chris Minns that the state government will immediately consult with experts on reforming bail regulations for domestic abuse cases.
