An accused murderer has limped from court and jumped into a waiting car after a judge found there were exceptional reasons for him to be released on bail.
Craig Freeman, 63, made the application in the Victorian Supreme Court on Thursday, six weeks after he was charged with his wife Melinda Freeman's murder.
Mrs Freeman was found dead in her Whittlesea home, in Melbourne's outer north, on October 4, 1991.
Freeman claimed he had returned to the house with his son about 11.30pm to find it ransacked and the front door open.
Mrs Freeman's body was lying on the top landing of the two-storey house.
Police interviewed Freeman over his wife's death in 1992 and 1993 but he was only charged with murder on November 5.
His barrister David Hallowes SC told the judge his client had been a suspect for more than three decades and yet police waited until 2025 to charge him.
"The evidence that appears before you ... are all materials in possession of the prosecution by the mid-90s," Mr Hallowes said.
There were several issues in the case that would be challenged, the defence flagged.
Crown prosecutor Erin Ramsay noted there was fresh DNA evidence before the court but said it did not significantly advance the prosecution's case.
She did not oppose Freeman's application for bail, conceding there were exceptional circumstances and he did not pose an unacceptable risk.
Mr Hallowes made similar submissions, pointing to the fact Freeman was a 63-year-old man with no prior or subsequent convictions.
Freeman had never tried to flee the country despite knowing he was the prime suspect in the case, Mr Hallowes argued.
"There's been a substantial period of time knowing there was a possibility he would be charged," the barrister said.
"And he remained living in the home, continuing on working, supporting his family."
Freeman's current wife had put forward a $500,000 surety and her parents relied on him for day-to-day assistance, Mr Hallowes said.
Freeman's own parents were aged in their 90s and he had children and grandchildren tying him to the jurisdiction, the barrister said.
He was also awaiting an MRI for a possible hip replacement and he previously had surgery on his eyes following a stroke, the court was told.
Justice Michael Croucher accepted the circumstances were exceptional as he granted Freeman bail.
The judge also noted the prosecution's case was entirely circumstantial and there were real issues to be tried around the killer's identity.
Justice Croucher imposed a number of bail conditions, including twice-weekly reporting to the local police station and a ban on leaving the state.
Freeman ignored questions from reporters as he limped out of the Supreme Court on Thursday afternoon and jumped into a waiting Range Rover.
He is due to face Melbourne Magistrates Court for a committal mention hearing in March.
