The man arrested over the “violent” death of a woman in the small town of Cobram had previously admitted hiding the body of a toddler in the roof of a house, but was found not guilty of murder.
Emma Bates, 49, was found dead inside her home in Cobram, in Victoria’s far north, about 2.15pm on Tuesday, making her the 26th woman murdered in the country so far. The year is underway, as Australia faces a crisis of violence against women. epidemic.
Footage shows John Torney, 39, being handcuffed by officers on Cobram Main Street on Wednesday. He is currently assisting police with their investigations into him.
WhatsNew2Day Australia understands Bates and Torney had recently started dating.
Torney, a violent drug addict, has an extensive criminal record with more than 70 criminal convictions. He pleaded guilty to domestic violence offenses last year and recently appeared in court earlier this month.
Ms Bates was found dead inside her home (pictured) on Tuesday afternoon.
An unattended wheelchair and cat scratching post could be seen in Mrs Bates’ driveway.
Police officers were seen speaking to a man at the premises.
Pictured: John Torney, acquitted of murdering a toddler in 2015.
In 2015, he was accused of murdering the two-year-old daughter of his then partner, Nikki Francis-Coslovich, after the girl, who had been beaten to death, was found hiding in a ceiling cavity.
Torney admitted to putting the girl’s body on the roof, but claimed it was the girl’s mother, Peta Ann Francis, who killed her.
Francis was never charged and Torney was acquitted of the boy’s death by a jury, which was never told of his violent and drug-ridden past.
He had also previously been convicted of hitting a police officer with a hammer and a neighbor’s statement that he used to “hit Nikki” was found inadmissible in court.
A team of detectives and forensic officers were seen scouring the Campbell Road home looking for evidence and speaking to neighbors on Wednesday as part of the investigation.
As police came and went through the front door, a wheelchair, a cat scratching tower and an exercise bike could be seen in Ms. Bates’ abandoned covered parking lot.
Her friend Kylie Mizzi, whose parents lived next door to Bates for many years, told WhatsNew2Day Australia she was a “beautiful soul”.
“She always helped my elderly parents and had a big heart, was warm and loving,” he said.
“I’m in total shock that something like this could happen to such a beautiful soul.
John Torney is seen outside a supreme court session at Mildura Magistrates’ Court, in Mildura, Thursday November 10, 2016.
In the photo: Nikki Francis-Coslovich
Ms Mizzi affectionately described Ms Bates as a “crazy cat lady” who “loved her cats”. A sign dedicated to her cats could be seen on her screen door on Wednesday.
Forensic teams entered and exited the home on Wednesday as the investigation into the tragedy continues.
‘Something needs to be done about domestic violence. “All women should feel safe.”
Mizzi said Bates had no children, but was the mother of several cats whom she adored.
The Age contacted Bates’ ex-husband, 59, on Wednesday but he was too distraught to speak.
According to a local news report published on Wednesday, towns along the New South Wales-Victoria border are experiencing an unprecedented increase in the number of women seeking help for family and domestic violence issues.
Di Glover, chief executive of Albury-based community support organization Yes Unlimited, said she had never seen such high numbers in the last 10 years.
“We see 8 to 10 women a week coming forward after a domestic violence assault,” Ms Glover told Border Mail.
“We’re really feeling the pressure.”
A man was seen leaving the house with police officers.
Police officers are seen removing crime scene tape at the home Wednesday afternoon.
Two distraught women could be seen watching police working the crime scene.
Ms Gloves also noted that domestic violence-related assaults across the Murray River Police District have increased over the past five years.
He said officers in the region had responded to 753 incidents in the past 12 months, including 418 of which occurred in the Albury local government area alone.
Speaking to reporters outside her home on Wednesday, Bates’ neighbor Kayla Dennis said she no longer feels safe as a woman in Australian society.
‘[I’m] really scared. I won’t go out alone,’ she said.
‘Many women in Australia are also starting to feel the same.
“It’s really sad.”
Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Premier Jacinta Allan pleaded with Victorians to call out bad behavior towards women as she calls for change to end violence against women.
While she could not speak specifically about the incident in Cobram, as the exact circumstances have yet to be determined, she said too many women have been murdered this year.
Kayla Dennis said women across Australia fear for their safety as violence against women continues to rise.
Cobram is located in northern Victoria, near the border with New South Wales.
“We have already seen too many women lose their lives in 2024,” Allan said.
‘They have lost their lives, either at the hands of a current or former partner, or they have lost their lives at the hands of a complete stranger who seemed determined to inflict harm on women.
“This has to stop.”
The tragedy comes as the horrific death toll from violence against women in Australia continues to rise, with a series of shocking alleged murders shaking the country in recent weeks.
On Monday, young mother Molly Ticehurst was found dead in a home in Forbes, central western New South Wales, just 10 days after celebrating her 28th birthday.
Her accused killer had been released on bail just weeks ago after sexually assaulting her; The stunning revelation prompted the New South Wales government to launch a review of the case and the state’s bail system.
Eleven days ago, five women, including Ashlee Good, Jade Young, Dawn Singleton, Pikria Darchia and Yixuan Cheng, were among six people killed in a mass stabbing at Bondi Junction in Sydney.
Meanwhile, in Victoria, the Ballarat region has been at the center of several shocking and high-profile alleged murder cases in recent weeks.
Earlier this month, Clunes woman Hannah McGuire, 23, was found dead inside a burnt-out car near Scarsdale, south-west of Ballarat. Her ex-boyfriend, with whom she had recently purchased a house, has since been charged with her alleged murder.
In March, Patrick Stephenson, 28, from Ballarat, was charged with the alleged murder of local mother Samantha Murphy, 52, who disappeared from the area during a morning run in February.
Days later, the body of young mother Chaithanya ‘Swetha’ Madhagani, 30, was found stuffed in a green rubbish bin on Mount Pollock Road in Buckley, west of Geelong.
Her husband Ashok Raj Varikuppala had already flown to India with their son and is being sought by police for questioning as part of the investigation.
If you or someone you know has experienced or is at risk of family and domestic violence and/or sexual assault, call 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) for a 24-hour national sexual assault, family and domestic violence advice line .
Mensline Australia 1300 789 978 Supports men and boys facing family and relationship difficulties. 24/7 phone and online support, an information service for Australian men. Call 1300 789 978 for help.