John Torney: Man accused of assault charges over Emma Bates's death was being supervised in the community over similar offences committed two years ago

A man charged with a slew of offences over the death of a vulnerable woman had been released from prison to be supervised in the community after committing similar assault charges two years earlier. John Torney, 39, who lived next door, was charged over Ms Bates' death on Wednesday night with intentionally cause injury, recklessly cause injury, common assault, aggravated assault of a female and unlawful assault. John Torney, 39, has been charged with a range of assault offences over the death of 49-year-old Emma Bates Ms Bates was found dead inside her Cobram home, close to the NSW border in Victoria's far north, about 2.15pm on Tuesday, having suffered injuries to her upper-body and face Corrections Victoria declined to comment. Torney had been serving a Community Supervisions Order over assault offences committed in Robinvale, four hours north-west of Cobram, in 2022 Torney had relocated to Cobram to live with his mother and brother in the house next to Ms Bates Daily Mail Australia approached one of Torney's brothers for comment on Thursday but he hurled a can at the fence. Ms Bates' sister Rachel said she had the 'biggest heart of anyone we know' Ms Bates was described in loving terms as the 'crazy cat lady aunt' to 17 nieces and nephews But Ms Bates' family confirmed that she and Torney had only known each other for weeks, not months, and revealed the 49-year-old 'hated' him.