Man accused of killing elderly woman over pool payment

Detailed summary

An accused killer has denied he fatally attacked an elderly woman in her home after she did not pay him for works he completed at a regional pool.

A man allegedly bludgeoned a 70-year-old woman to death, dragged her body to a cemetery and set it on fire because he was not paid for pool works.

Brian Robert Barnes, 68, has denied he killed Merril Kelly in January 2025 at her Quambatook home in Victoria's northwest.

He has pleaded not guilty to murder and is on trial in the Victorian Supreme Court.

Mrs Kelly had been an active member of the small regional community, including managing the local swimming pool.

Barnes was a regular at the pool and participated in a working bee in November 2024, when he offered to fix leaking pavers.

Barnes asked to be paid in cake and completed the works in early December.

Mrs Kelly pulled together $200 from the pool committee as a thank you but Barnes was not happy, complaining to the police and lawyers.

On January 20, 2025, there was an incident at the pool where Barnes was kicked out after he dove into the shallow end.

Police spoke to him about the incident and at 12.50am the next morning, he filed a complaint on the Victoria Police website.

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