A Mount Pleasant man accused of murdering his partner in October last year told a friend he had killed her, a court has been told.
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Scott Charles Cameron allegedly told his friend he had "done the worst evil" on October 6, which was the morning after Dannyll Goodsell's death at her Mount Pleasant home.
On Wednesday, the 36-year-old man pleaded not guilty to one count of murder after a two-day committal hearing at the Ballarat Magistrates Court.
Cameron's defence counsel did not make submissions after the prosecution's case and Cameron was committed to stand trial in the Supreme Court.
Ms Goodsell was found dead in her partly burnt Mount Pleasant home, on Kenworthy Place, on October 5, 2018.
The Mount Pleasant mother had more than 50 incisions on her body, with a wound to the left side of her neck the likely major contributing factor to her death and another significant wound on her pharynx.
A witness, Nikolay Abramov, told the court Cameron visited him on the morning of October 6 and said he had killed Ms Goodsell.
"Scott said, 'I have done the worst evil. I have killed Dannyll'," Mr Abramov said.
"I said, 'are you kidding?' and he said 'no, I have done the worst evil,'."
Mr Abramov said he and Cameron went inside Mr Abramov's Ballarat unit where he asked Cameron questions, including 'how did you do it?' and 'why did you do it?'.
He told the court he thought Cameron told him he had consumed the drug ice. Mr Abramov said Cameron stayed for hours and had a shower at his next door neighbour's unit.
But when police detectives later arrived at Mr Abramov's unit to collect Cameron's belongings, Mr Abramov said he did not tell them Cameron had confessed to killing Ms Goodsell.
The witness said the detectives did not ask any questions so he did not offer the information.
Mr Abramov told the court Cameron first arrived at Mr Abromov's unit at 11pm on October 5. Cameron asked Mr Abromov to let him in because he had "just slashed my wrists".
He said he let Cameron inside and gave him a bandage before the pair went to the Shell service station on Drummond Street about 1am to buy food and drinks.
Mr Abramov said he and Cameron returned to the unit and did not talk much, saying it was "just small talk".
He said he did not see Cameron again until 11.15am outside his unit.
Another witness, Sarah Brown, said she was in a relationship with Ms Goodsell until July 2017. She described this relationship as physically, mentally and emotionally violent, from both sides.
She said after they separated, they stayed in contact from time-to-time and she helped Ms Goodsell clean up her Kenworthy Place house six to eight times after other people had trashed it.
Ms Brown said her former partner was scared of certain people, both males and females. Ms Brown had received a text message from Ms Goodsell a month before she died asking her to "Call me now, it's so important. My safety's in jeopardy".
Cameron was remanded in custody until a directions hearing at the Supreme Court in Melbourne on October 16.
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