Kelly Flanagan: Murder witness allegedly gets bogged in burglary

A witness in a murder trial faced serious risks if she remained behind bars over her alleged role in a bungled, bloody burglary of a Central Victorian home.

A witness in a major murder trial says she was too scared to remain behind bars over an alleged bloodstained burglary in Central Victoria.

Kelly Flanagan, 35, appeared in Bendigo Magistrates Court on Friday accused of using a stolen van to steal from a property east of Malmsbury.

She is also set to give evidence as a witness in a murder trial in the Supreme Court this month.

But her lawyer said she was concerned to testify from prison.

Magistrate Megan Aumair approved her bail with Flanagan set to return to Castlemaine Magistrates’ Court later this week.

Police allege the 35-year-old mother and a male co-accused drove to the Malmsbury home, which was being renovated, on July 23, 2021.

The court heard the owner was notified on his phone by his motion-activated security system.

The CCTV footage showed Flanagan’s co-accused smashing the window with a brick and walking out with a shovel.

Police claim they arrived at the scene to find Flanagan in the passenger seat of the bogged stolen van, a house window smashed in and blood smeared over the property.

They alleged a quad bike was ready to be loaded into the van, while ramps and ladders were already inside the vehicle.

Flanagan allegedly told police they were doing burnouts when they realised they were on private property when their van got bogged.

Senior Constable Cameron Dean said Flanagan told officers they were trying to weigh the van down with the quad bike so it could be freed.

He said she claimed she cut herself trying to free the vehicle, and they broke the window to grab a shovel to dig themselves out of the mud.

A search of the van allegedly uncovered two syringes of GHB and a small amount of methylamphetamines.

Snr Constable Dean said CCTV footage also captured Flanagan stealing the white Hyundai van from a carpark at a Princes Hwy, Princess Hwy shopping complex on Wednesday July 14.

Snr Constable Dean said police opposed her bail, saying the mother was on bail when she was involved in the alleged break-in and she was at risk of reoffending.

But her lawyer Rose George said the 35-year-old mother faced grave risks if she remained in custody.

Ms George said her client needed additional support that may not be available in custody, as she was four-months pregnant and suffering from complex mental health issues, including bipolar, PTSD and anxiety.

She said the 35-year-old had spent the past three years couch surfing, suffering from severe social disadvantage, homelessness and domestic violence.

Ms George said for the first time in three years Flanagan had secure accommodation, having signed a six-month lease in Melbourne with her 16-year-old daughter.