The 60-year-old former NSW deputy mayor, accused of murdering his mother near Mildura almost two years ago, is representing himself in the Supreme Court and tells the judge that prison officers are blocking him from using the library.
A former deputy mayor accused of murdering his mother near Mildura almost two years ago has applied to be released on bail, arguing he cannot prepare a defence while in custody.Mr Cohrs has argued he should be granted bail so he can better mount a defencePaul Cohrs, a councillor of the Wentworth Shire in rural New South Wales from 2012 to 2016, is accused of shooting dead his elderly mother, Bette Schulz, at her home in the north-west Victorian town of Red Cliffs on October 30, 2018.
Mr Cohrs, 60, made a self-represented bail application in the Supreme Court by video link this morning, telling Justice Paul Coghlan the memory of waking up in hospital surrounded by his family after the alleged crime "certainly gave me a different outlook on life". Prosecutor Melissa Mahady opposed the application, saying the case against Mr Cohrs was very strong and that the defence material included admissions to the killing.
He said, however, that "until I get all my relevant information, I feel I shouldn't put a defence to the court just yet".Mr Cohrs told Justice Coghlan that staff at Port Phillip Prison had made it difficult for him to access legal material, including by blocking him from using the prison library.
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