Brian Robert Barnes is standing trial for the murder of 70-year-old Quambatook woman Merril Kelly.
The prosecution alleges Mr Barnes snuck into Ms Kelly's house and killed her after she banned him from the local pool.
A court has heard a man snuck into a woman's bedroom in the middle of the night and killed her after she banned him from the local pool.
Merril Kelly, 70, a community leader and president of the Quambatook Memorial Swimming Pool, was found dead in the town's cemetery in north-west Victoria in January 2025.
Brian Robert Barnes has pleaded not guilty to murder and is standing trial in the Supreme Court in Bendigo.
The 68-year-old, known in his hometown of Quambatook as Bert, sat in the dock at the back of the courtroom wearing a white T-shirt and glasses.
Crown prosecutor Patrick Bourke KC told the court today Mr Barnes allegedly admitted to his brother what he had done.
The court heard an autopsy found Ms Kelly died from head injuries.
In his opening address, Mr Bourke told the jury a dispute arose after Ms Kelly arranged for Mr Barnes to fix a leak at the community swimming pool in November 2024.
Ms Kelly texted Mr Barnes to say the work would be unpaid, and he replied saying she may need to pay…
