By CASEY NEILL
A NOBLE Park man called triple zero with a desperate plea for help just minutes before his death last Thursday.
Police found Alan Matthews, 69, dead in the bathroom of his Henry Street home shortly before 4am on 30 January.
Homicide Squad detectives on Thursday night charged Hallam woman Kristy Robb, 26, with one count of intentionally causing serious injury in relation to the incident.
She was denied bail during a hearing at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court the following day, and the case was adjourned until 6 June.
Investigators on Friday afternoon arrested a Narre Warren man, 40, and on Saturday charged him with intentionally causing serious injury.
He was released on bail to face Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 5 February.
The court on Friday heard police allege that Ms Robb was a former tenant of Mr Matthews, and that she and her boyfriend attacked him with a baseball bat and steel bar over a rent dispute.
Detective Sergeant David Butler said a man in distress called triple zero about 3am on 30 January and told the call-taker he’d been assaulted.
“Police have subsequently attended and located him deceased inside the house,” he said on Thursday morning.
“He does have some blunt-trauma injuries. I’m not going to go any further than that.
“A post-mortem examination will need to be conducted to determine the cause of death.”
Arron Britton lives a five-minute walk from the crime scene and regularly passed the victim’s home on his way to the supermarket.
“I’ve seen him out and about. He’s quite a nice guy,” he said.
“He’s forever giving away stuff.
“Every day he would say ‘hello’ to you if he was out the front.”
Romsey Street resident Colin said he’d brought furniture from Mr Matthews and described him as a “no-nonsense, easy-going and quite a character”.
Cansu Caglayancay lives on Henry Street and was in shock when she heard the news.
“I’ve seen him regularly,” she said.
“He used to have lots of people going in and out, I would see lots of different cars there.
“It’s so sad. I don’t know what the world’s coming to.
“I just feel for the family.
“I thought this street was really safe.”
