Lee Wadham, 27, appeared in the Ballarat Magistrates Court on Thursday charged with making threats to kill and using a carriage service to harass.

Wadham's laptop, mobile phones and hard drive were seized during a search warrant of his Ararat home on March 22.

The court heard on Thursday forensic analysis had started on more than 70,000 images on the laptop. The police informant told the court that 1,000 images of mutilation "on par" with the severity of child abuse material were found on the laptop, with a selection of the photos tendered to the court.

Magistrate Jones told the court the images he had seen were "very disturbing" and in his opinion, Wadham has a "fixation with death and mutilation". He said he would require a new, detailed mental health assessment before he would decide the bail application.

Police prosecutor Leading Senior Constable Lisa Schoemaker told the court police opposed the man's bail application, as the "unacceptable risk factor is far too high" if he was released. 

"He threatens to use a machete on the victim ... low and behold, he's found with a machete in the car." 

She said a Court Integrated Services Program report of Wadham was concerning as he was "minimising all his offending" and photos taken from his electronic devices of mutilation were worrying. 

On March 21 at 4.30pm, the accused was intercepted by police on George Road, Ararat driving an unregistered dark-coloured Chrysler, where police allege a newly-purchased machete was lying on the front seat of the car.  Police had told the court that on March 22 at 12.40pm, the complainant called Ararat Police Station having received a call from another witness, who said he'd been contacted by Wadham who was "on his way to Ballarat with a machete to kill" the woman.

The man's defence lawyer, Scott Belcher, asked for the man to be given bail with strict conditions, including he stays 10 kilometres away from the alleged victim's Wendouree address and stay off social media. 

"On any analysis he is a pathetic individual who requires the state's help." he said. "Given his significant mental health issues ... he could be properly managed on appropriate bail conditions." 

Mr Belcher said despite an order for Wadham to get an appropriate mental health care in custody from Magistrate Frank Jones almost two weeks ago, his first dose of medication was given in the cells on Thursday morning. 

"One of the things we don't know is the extent of his mental health," Magistrate Jones said. 

Between March 15 and 18 this year, police allege Wadham sent the complainant around 200 text messages and rang her 140 times. Texts stated he was "threatening to take his own life, the victim's life and anyone else who tried to get in his way".

Mr Belcher said the court had accepted Wadham's mother was a "good, reliable person" who he could reside with on bail and would alert police if he was breaching bail conditions.  Waddam will return to the Ballarat Magistrates Court on May 28 for the continuation of the bail application, following a further mental health assessment.