Speargun attack was 'accidental': Vic man

A Melbourne man accused of shooting a woman in the face with a speargun says it was an accident.

The 46-year-old man appeared before the Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Wednesday charged with shooting the woman with a speargun in Hallam in August.

"The accused is maintaining his position that it was an accident," prosecutor Sarah Lenthall told the court as the man was ordered to remain in custody until a committal hearing in 2017.