Overview

• Belinda Torney was ordered to give evidence and told the court her son admitted punching Emma Bates three times and insisted Bates "wasn't dead" despite not waking.
• She said she urged him to call an ambulance and later phoned police for a welfare check before emergency services found Bates deceased on April 23, 2024, in Cobram.
• Prosecutors told the Melbourne Magistrates' Court that Torney acted with gross negligence after assuming responsibility for Bates, who lived with type 1 diabetes.
• Court materials describe injuries consistent with a violent assault, including facial bruising and a head wound, while the defence denies all charges and disputes any duty of care.
• The committal hearing follows earlier delays after an alleged arson at the family home, and it continues with further witnesses and evidence to determine if the case proceeds to trial.