Paul Anthony Quinlan was arrested in May 2020 after Scott Pilton was found with life-threatening facial injuries at a home on the 400-resident Lamb Island, off Brisbane.

The 48-year-old died two days later.

A woman, who told media she was Mr Pilton's wife, yelled out to thank Magistrate Suzette Coates when Quinlan was committed to stand trial.

That came despite police being accused of not following proper procedures at Tuesday's hearing.

Detective Senior Constable Brent Dadds was grilled by defence barrister Tim Ryan for using a whiteboard to collate information during the murder investigation, and not recording it in a running log.

The court heard Quinlan, 57, had not initially been provided a lawyer despite asking up to six times for one.

Quinlan had also written his lawyer's phone number on a Post-it note and presented it at the watchhouse in a bid to contact him, the court heard.

Sen Const Dadds said it was the first time he had heard about it.

"You are finding out about these things from me for the first time in the court and you are the investigating officer?" Mr Ryan said.

"Are you still asserting that there are no problems with this investigation?"

Sen Const Dadds replied: "No investigation is perfect."

The investigating officer told court Quinlan was too drunk to be interviewed the day he was taken into custody so he didn't question him until the next morning.

But Mr Ryan said Quinlan could not be detained for questioning for more than eight hours following an arrest for an indictable offence under Queensland's Police Powers and Responsibilities Act.

Sen Const Dadds confirmed he had not applied for a detention extension via an application to a magistrate in order to interview Quinlan.

The court also heard an application form asking an undercover officer be placed in Quinlan's cell, in a bid to gain information, incorrectly indicated the defendant hadn't asked for a lawyer.

Sen Const Dadds said he had not completed the form and was unsure of the source of all the information in it, despite the application being submitted under his name.

"I can't comment on the information that (another officer) ... put in the application," he said.

Mr Ryan replied: "That's the point I am trying to make ... proper procedures weren't followed in this case.

"This is the problem if you don't have a running log. We just don't know where this information came from."

But Ms Coates said there was a prima facie case for Quinlan to answer. He was committed to stand trial in Supreme Court at a later date for murder and one count of acts intended to maim.

Quinlan - from Macleay Island - was not required to enter a plea.

Australian Associated Press