State to pay some of accused killer’s legal costs

State to Cover Some Legal Costs for Accused Killer

The state will pay part of the legal fees for John Torney, accused of negligent manslaughter in the death of Emma Bates, due to court delays.

Crime

Cobram, Victoria, John Torney, Emma Bates, Negligent Manslaughter

Cobram: So, here’s the scoop. John Torney, 40, is in a bit of hot water after prosecutors upgraded charges related to a woman’s death to negligent manslaughter. And guess what? The state’s gonna help cover some of his legal fees because of delays in the case.

He appeared in court via video link from prison, facing charges over the death of Emma Bates, who was found dead back in April. The police say these two knew each other, and initially, Torney was hit with a bunch of charges, like assault and breaching a court order.

But now, they’ve added this serious charge of negligent manslaughter. The prosecutor mentioned that this decision came after a report from the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine.

Torney’s lawyer argued that the state should pay for some previous court appearances because the charges changed and there were delays. He pointed out that if the new charge had been laid earlier, those court dates would have been pointless.

The prosecutor did apologize for the delays, saying he had some unexpected health issues, but he didn’t agree to cover costs for all the dates. In the end, the magistrate approved payment for two of those appearances, totaling $780.

For now, Torney remains in custody and is set to return to court in March 2025. It’s worth noting that back in 2016, he was acquitted of murdering a toddler, which adds another layer to this whole situation.

Image Credits and Reference: https://au.news.yahoo.com/state-pay-accused-killers-legal-024423224.html