General News
23 January, 2025
Brian Barnes appears in Bendigo court charged with murder near Quambatook
Barnes was charged after a body was found near the small town.
The man charged with the murder of a person in Quambatook has appeared at Bendigo court.
Brian Barnes, 67, was charged with murder after the body of a person, believed to be a woman, was discovered in a cemetery near the small town south-west of Kerang.
The accused appeared in remand at the Bendigo Magistrates' Court on Thursday, January 23, a day after he was charged.
Barnes was arrested on January 22 without incident in the Welshmans Reef area, just west of Castlemaine.
Not enough evidence, defence claims
Barnes' defence lawyer Paul Kidd said it was in the interest of justice the matter was adjourned, as there was not enough evidence to suggest his client was the offender.
The prosecution had to prove "reasonable belief" Barnes was the offender before the court could order forensic evidence to be analysed.
The court heard it was Barnes' first time in custody and he was on medication for blood pressure.
Barnes was remanded until April 4 for a further hearing, with a hand-up brief required by March 19.