A man accused of murdering a self-proclaimed vampire gigolo has been bailed to care for his children.
The man, who cannot be identified, is charged alongside two other men with murdering Shane Chartres-Abbott who was gunned down outside his Melbourne home in 2003.
But Victorian Supreme Court Justice Kevin Bell ruled a delay in his trial and a desperate family situation amounted to the exceptional circumstances required to release an accused killer on bail.
The man was set free on a $1 million surety posted by a friend and on the condition that he not approach prosecution witnesses.
The man had been due to stand trial alongside his co-accused Evangelos Goussis, 45, in October.
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But the trial was delayed following the July arrest in Perth of another co-accused, 45-year-old Mark Adrian Perry, after years on the run.
The trio is accused of killing Mr Chartres-Abbott for allegedly raping and mutilating a female client.
Mr Chartres-Abbott's alleged victim later told police the 28-year-old gigolo had believed he was a vampire who needed to drink blood to survive.
Mr Chartres-Abbott was on trial for rape when he was killed.
Prosecutor Sally Flynn argued police believed the man may interfere with witnesses in the case against him if released.
But Justice Bell said he did not pose a danger to the community and was not a flight risk.
Defence barrister Colin Lovitt QC told the court his client had known since 2007 that police may charge him with the murder, but did not seek to flee before his eventual 2012 arrest.
"Without explanation they (police) sat on it (evidence) for five years," Mr Lovitt said.
He told the court the man's family desperately needed his guidance and that following the trial postponement he faced 18 months in custody before standing trial.
The man is due to stand trial on March 17 next year.
