John Torney's mother gives evidence in his manslaughter committal hearing

The mother of a man accused of negligent manslaughter over the death of Cobram woman Emma Bates has told a court she was the one who called police to check on the woman before her body was found.

On the first day of the committal hearing at the Melbourne Magistrates' Court, Belinda Torney said she contacted police after receiving a call from her son, John Torney.

"He rang me and asked if I wanted anything down the street," she told the court.

"He said, 'She's still breathing, but she's still not waking up.'

"I then called police and said, 'If Emma's sugar is low, she's going to need an ambulance.'"

Emergency services later found Ms Bates, 49, dead at her Campbell Road home in Cobram on April 23, 2024.

The court heard Mr Torney, 41, lived next door to Ms Bates and had known her for a