Mizanul Rahman Islam, 39, has apparently been assaulted three times while in jail this year. Photo: Michelle Kroll.
An alleged burglar said to have been brandishing an item that looked like a firearm during a break-in has been assaulted three times since he was taken to jail, a court has heard.
One of the assaults left 39-year-old Mizanul Rahman Islam with facial fractures and sent him to hospital for six days.
Last year, an ACT Policing spokesperson said they received a report that “a firearm-shaped object” was allegedly being used to smash a window to get inside a vacant unit in Braddon on the night of 14 November 2025.
Officers arrived and allegedly caught Islam and a 24-year-old woman inside the unit.
The spokesperson said officers searched the unit and allegedly found an imitation firearm, a firearm magazine and items suspected to have been stolen from a burglary in Higgins in October 2025.
The pair were both arrested and Islam was charged with burglary, joint commission unlawful possession of stolen property and the unauthorised possession of a firearm.
He was refused bail the next day and spent more than two months in custody before applying for bail again in the ACT Magistrates Court on Wednesday (28 January).
His defence lawyer, Bol Mathiang, said his client had been assaulted twice in custody earlier this month. The second attack required surgery for a broken nose and a fractured eye socket.
He spent six days in hospital before returning to custody, but was then assaulted for the third time the next day, Mr Mathiang said.
He said his client was then placed in a management unit, which was taking a toll on his client’s mental health as he was only allowed out for one hour a day.
“In that aspect, I do submit he is quite vulnerable in jail,” the lawyer said.
Mr Mathiang also said his client was on a waiting list to be accepted into a rehabilitation program.
“When he’s not on drugs, he’s a law-abiding citizen,” he said.
The prosecutor said she opposed bail due to the seriousness of the charges.
Magistrate Amy Begley noted how at least one of the assaults resulted in a substantial injury that sent Islam to hospital, but she also said the allegations were incredibly serious.
She said a significant issue was his drug use, which was related to his alleged offending.
The magistrate said she was not satisfied that the proposed bail conditions could ameliorate the concerns around his release and refused bail.
The matter was adjourned to 17 February for a pre-hearing mention.
The woman arrested in Braddon has also been charged and remains before the courts.
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