A KIRKSTALL man has complained bitterly about being held in custody for three days while being questioned during a murder investigation.
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Kevin Timothy Knowles, 43, of Atkinson Street, unsuccessfully applied for bail again in the Warrnambool Magistrates Court on Wednesday.
He was arrested and held in custody after allegedly assaulting his partner on January 26.
Magistrate Michael Coghlan refused bail saying that Mr Knowles had 37 pages of prior convictions involving 269 charges.
A disgruntled Mr Knowles interrupted the magistrate to ask about whether he should be credited for time he was previously held in custody.
"What about the three days Amanda and me were in custody being interviewed for murder," he said.
"Is there any compensation for that, the stress of that.”
Mr Knowles’ partner Amanda Bourke was called by his solicitor to give evidence to support the bail application.
The couple were arrested and interviewed by Victoria Police homicide squad detectives after the death of Warrnambool's Stephen Johnston on December 8.
Police believe there was an incident at Mr Johnston's Suzanne Crescent house on the night of Wednesday, December 7.
An ambulance was called to the house early in the afternoon of the following day and Mr Johnston was taken to the Warrnambool Base Hospital where he died later that night.
Mr Knowles and Ms Bourke were arrested and interviewed in relation to the circumstances of the man's death.
They were released on Friday, December 10 and not charged.
Medical experts have provided reports into the cause of Mr Johnston's death.
Warrnambool police Detective Senior Sergeant Mark Canavan said the cause of Mr Johnston's death may have been compounded by a combination of pre-existing health issues.
He said other than the two people arrested for questioning, there were no other persons of interest.
“We're still chasing witnesses," he previously said.
"We are in the process of taking further statements and Warrnambool CIU detectives will report back to the coroner and the homicide squad.”
Mr Knowles currently faces a number of police briefs of evidence, relating to assaulting Ms Bourke, theft of a car which he took for a test drive and numerous breaches of bail conditions.
Senior Constable Adrian Dolman, of the south-west police family violence unit, said Mr Knowles and Ms Bourke had been in a relationship since August last year.
He said Mr Knowles had been charged with recklessly causing injury on November 17, theft of a car and driving while disqualified on November 29 and obtaining financial advantage by deception on November 14.
Koroit police assisted Ms Bourke on January 26 while she was walking to Warrnambool.
She had suffered a black eye, said Mr Knowles had punched her to the face the night before and she made a statement to police.
In that statement Ms Bourke said Mr Knowles acted irrationally "when on gear" or ice.
She said physical assaults had escalated since Christmas last year.
Ms Bourke said she became frightened after Mr Knowles grabbed her by the throat and held her mouth and nose so she couldn't breathe.
In another incident she claimed Mr Knowles dragged her from the house and off a 1.5 metre high porch to show her damage she had caused to his car.
Ms Bourke said that at other times she had been threatened with a knife and Mr Knowles said he would bury her while he was driving along a dirt track.
In refusing bail the magistrate said Mr Knowles had more than 50 prior convictions for breaching intervention orders.
"I have grave fears for the welfare of Amanda Bourke," he said.
