A man accused of raping and murdering a brothel owner has argued the prosecution case against him was "guesswork" as he sought to have the charges thrown out.

Michael James Chalmers, 36, faced Melbourne Magistrates Court on Monday, charged over the death of Asian migrant sex worker Yuko.

The 62-year-old woman was found dead at the Footscray brothel she ran in Melbourne's west in late November 2024.

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CCTV footage allegedly showed Chalmers speaking with Yuko for about two minutes before he grabbed her in a headlock and pinned her down on the bed, prosecutor Jordan Johnston said.

"The interaction commences with violence," Mr Johnston told the court on Monday morning.

Chalmers was captured on the footage leaving the brothel room about 30 minutes later while Yuko was either unconscious or already dead, the prosecutor said.

Two pathologists previously told the court Yuko likely died from strangulation or smothering.

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The prosecutor said the injuries Yuko sustained were consistent with rape and the CCTV showed a "quite shocking" act of violence.

But defence barrister Barnaby Johnston argued there were was no DNA evidence linking Chalmers to those injuries, and Yuko had seen other clients in the lead-up to her death.

"It is utter guesswork how those injuries occurred," the defence barrister said.

He urged magistrate Vincenzo Caltabiano to discharge Chalmers of rape and the state offence of murder, which alleges the 36-year-old unintentionally caused the death during the rape.

Chalmers is also facing a separate charge of common law murder.

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The prosecutor accepted it was an atypical and circumstantial case but argued it should be left to a jury to decide.

Mr Caltabiano will have to consider whether there is sufficient evidence to commit Chalmers to stand trial in the Supreme Court on all or some of the charges.

The magistrate adjourned his decision to March 31.

Help is available via the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service on 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).

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"Do you know who I am?"

The well-worn catchphrase of famous people caught in embarrassing situations was wielded to little effect before dual-code rugby great Wendell Sailor was arrested during a drunken night out. 

The former Wallabies player became agitated when talking to another man at Pappy's Bar in Sydney's city centre after 8.30pm on November 6, 2024, according to agreed facts of his court case. 

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The bar manager threatened to call police after asking the 51-year-old to leave the bar at least three times because of his level of intoxication. 

"F—ing call the cops and see what happens," Sailor replied, according to court documents. 

"Do you know who I am? You're f—ing done."

Police spoke to him outside the bar before he spotted the man whom he accused of trying to fight him and gave chase, the agreed facts state.

Reinforcements were called to help arrest the former NRL and rugby union international, who maintained his capture was racially motivated.

He was subsequently granted bail on conditions that included a prohibition on being intoxicated in public. 

But the premiership-winning NRL star ignored the restriction when he went to a sports bar in Wollongong and drank a large volume of alcohol on January 5, 2025, according to the agreed facts. 

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Police were called after he became aggressive with a taxi driver and found Sailor stumbling and swaying in the middle of the road.

He smelled strongly of alcohol and was slurring his words as he abused officers, the agreed facts state. 

Officers called for backup as they struggled to arrest an increasingly aggressive former NRL star, who tensed his arms to prevent handcuffs being placed on him and braced himself against the car. 

He resisted nine officers before eventually being taken into custody, where the agreed facts say he continued to be aggressive and hostile. 

The 51-year-old appeared in Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court on Monday after pleading guilty to failing to leave a premises after being excluded, intimidation, and resisting police. 

His lawyer asked the court to dismiss the charges on mental health grounds, citing information arising out of a psychiatric report. 

If the application is not successful when it's heard on Friday, Sailor will be sentenced.

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The former rugby great is in the process of a difficult separation from his wife of nearly three decades, a court was previously told.

He represented Australia in rugby league and rugby union, distinguishing himself as the top try-scorer when the Kangaroos won the Rugby League World Cup in 2000. 

Sailor also proved a prolific scorer during a four-year rugby union stint, crossing 13 times in 37 games for the Wallabies and earning a start in the 2003 World Cup final.

He finished his 222-game NRL career in 2009 after nine seasons with the Brisbane Broncos and two seasons with St George Illawarra.

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Emergency services were called to the scene about 8.15pm.