Neil Douglas Morris appeared in Tamworth District Court on Friday morning where Judge Jeffery McLennan set down the trial before a jury for July 2019.

In October, Morris pleaded not guilty to the unlawful killing of the 75-year-old woman on July 16, 2017 in Tamworth.

The court heard the defence had lodged five separate subpoenas as they build their case.

“One is to NSW Ambulance, two to Hunter New England Health, one to NSW Police and one is Laverty Pathology,” Morris’ solicitor Kevin Carr told the court.

Five packets of subpoenas were served on the court and Judge McLennan said they were “relevant for both parties to access, I would have thought".

“[They are] medical reports [that] relate to the deceased,” he told the court.

During the mention, Morris also lodged a bail variation to allow him to attend Local Aboriginal Lands Council meetings – where he had been an active participant for 10 years – but the court heard one prosecution witness attends.

READ MORE:

“He just wants that changed so he can continue activities with the lands council,” Mr Carr told the court.

Morris is on bail to live in Nundle, be of good behaviour and not contact any prosecution witness, but the Crown did not oppose the variation which was granted by Judge McLennan.

Morris was first charged last year after investigations by Strike Force Cumbora, which was set up to examine the death of the 75-year-old woman.

The woman died three days after she was rushed from her Nundle home to Tamworth hospital with serious injuries.

At the time, police said a community nurse had attended the house and called for urgent assistance on July 13, 2017, before the woman was rushed to hospital by ambulance.

She was placed into a specialist ward but died from her injuries three days later.

Detectives initially charged Morris with failing to provide the necessities of life, before upgrading the charge to manslaughter in August.

Police allege Morris was known to the woman.