Justice Lesley Taylor refused Jacob Ford's application for bail at court on Monday afternoon.

The 35-year-old's defence lawyer said on Thursday during the bail hearing the prosecution case was 'tenuous, if not non-existent'.

Ms Parfitt was last seen alive at her home in Ballarat on April 28 last year, and her remains were found down a mineshaft in Snake Valley in December.

Ford is one of four people charged over her death and has been in custody since October.

Shannon Jeffrey, Brendon Prestage, and Renee Reynolds are also charged with murder and remain in custody.

The court was told on Thursday Ford was one of several co-accused who attended Parfitt's home on the day of her disappearance.

"The prosecution's case for (Ford) is put on the basis co-accused Shannon Jeffrey had a significant grievance with the deceased and murder was committed as a result of that grievance," crown prosecutor Catherine Parkes said.

"It's alleged (Ford) and (co-accused) Prestage and Reynolds assisted Jeffrey in carrying out the murder and disposing of the deceased's body.

"In terms of the unlawful act that occurred, we don't know, it was an assault of some description. A statement has been provided by a pathologist, the cause of death is unknown.

"The deceased was killed at her address, then taken to the mineshaft in fairly dense bushland and disposed of. As to the mechanism by which she died, we can't establish that."

Ms Parkes said the prosecution case relied on two witnesses - one a friend of Ford's, who had driven him around with Jeffrey, and Ms Parfitt's neighbour, who said Ms Parfitt had approached her on April 28, telling her to phone police.

"The prosecution's case is that (Ford) demonstrates a willingness on his behalf to assist Jeffrey with her grievance - for want of a better phrase, do her dirty work for her," she said.

"He's front and centre in relation to Jeffrey's grievances with the deceased."

Defence lawyer Chris Pearson said the prosecution case was 'being sewn from shreds of information'.

"To the extent there is a body of evidence the deceased was killed sometime on April 28, there is no evidence whatsoever he was present when she was killed," he said.

"No one said he was present, no one saw him, no one saw him participate in the killing of the deceased, no admissions were made by anybody regarding that."

In a written judgement, Justice Taylor said she did not find exceptional circumstances for bail had been shown.

"I do not accept the applicant's characterisation of the Crown case as being 'non-existent' or 'tenuous'," she said.

"I am not persuaded that the prosecution case is so weak as to amount to exceptional circumstances."

Justice Taylor said she was satisfied the risk of releasing Ford on bail was unacceptable because of his criminal history and failure to comply with community corrections orders and conditions of bail.

She said the availability of accommodation with his sister and a $15,000 surety did not ameliorate the risks.

Ford, a father of four children, will remain in custody.

The murder case will continue on November 23 at a contested committal hearing at the Ballarat Magistrates' Court.

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