Police allege Cromb, 52, unknowingly ran over Mr Wetmore after they fought briefly.

Cromb, of St James, near Yarrawonga, breathed a sigh of relief, echoed by his family members, as magistrate Tony Murray granted his bail application in Albury Local Court yesterday.

Police did not oppose bail.

Cromb had been in custody since being charged after Mr Wetmore’s death at a property between Holbrook and Culcairn last Tuesday night.

He was bailed to July 14.

Police allege Cromb and Mr Wetmore got into a brief physical fight on the farm owned by Mr Wetmore’s father.

The younger man was knocked down.

It is then alleged Cromb got in his car and drove around the house to park it, unaware he had run over Mr Wetmore in the process.

Cromb went inside the house to tell Mr Wetmore’s father that he had fought with his son.

When they returned outside, they found Mr Wetmore had died.

Police were called immediately.

Mr Murray asked police prosecutor Shannon Lewis if the tyre tracks leading up to the body were in a straight line.

Sgt Lewis replied “yes”.

Cromb’s solicitor, Andrea MacDonald, said while there was some evidence of what had occurred on the night, experts would be needed to ascertain exactly how the car had been driven and what the specific cause of death was.

Ms MacDonald said Cromb had been charged only with manslaughter, not murder.

“He is of good character, with no priors of violence or anything remotely approaching this sort of thing,” she said.

Mr Murray granted bail, requiring Cromb to report to Mulwala police station weekly, and that he lives at his home in Oliver Road, St James, with his wife.

Cromb paid half of the surety while his sister, who was in court alongside Mrs Cromb, paid the other.

Cromb appeared in court in prison greens but had changed to plain clothes when he left about an hour later, flanked by family.

A member of Mr Wetmore’s family was at the courthouse earlier, but was not in court during Cromb’s application.