The 28-year-old, who was granted bail, was charged with three counts of intentionally inflicting grievous bodily harm. Photo: Albert McKnight.
A construction worker has been granted bail after being accused of stopping a 78-year-old man from leaving his own home and repeatedly assaulting him over several days.
An ACT Policing spokesperson alleged the 28-year-old defendant, whom Region hasn’t named for the time being due to mental health considerations, arranged to stay at the older man’s home in Bruce in early October.
He allegedly repeatedly assaulted the older man from 15 to 17 October, kicking and choking him.
“About 8 pm [on 19 October], the older man managed to leave the residence and seek medical attention,” the police spokesperson said.
The defendant was arrested on the same day and given three counts of intentionally inflicting grievous bodily harm, as well as single counts of forcible confinement and dealing with the proceeds of crime.
He spent time in the adult mental health unit and the Alexander Maconochie Centre before facing the ACT Magistrates Court on Wednesday (5 November) to apply for bail.
The court heard the defendant, who works in steel fixing, was staying with the older man at the time because he had been unable to stay with his family and had nowhere else to go.
When police raided the property, they allegedly found a bag containing prescription medication in the defendant’s name as well as drug paraphernalia and $55,000 cash.
Afterwards, the older man said the defendant had appeared to be delusional and was acting paranoid, including closing blinds and making comments like, “Don’t talk because everything is being recorded”.
Special Magistrate Sean Richter said the allegations read like “the textbook of a person who is mentally unwell”.
“All of this offending quite clearly has a link to this man’s mental health, I think that goes without saying,” he said.
Sian Jowitt of Fraser Criminal Law said her client could live with his father if he were granted bail and he had received four depot injections, which is a slow-release medication commonly used to treat schizophrenia, before leaving the mental health unit.
“He’s now receiving the treatment that he requires for the underlying mental health issues,” she said.
Prosecutor Susie Kim opposed bail, arguing the court had to consider the risk the defendant posed to the community.
She was concerned the defendant had been involved in heavy drug use, noting in part how he had allegedly been found with drug paraphernalia. She argued there was a strong link between his drug use and offending and that his mental health may not have played such a prominent role as suggested.
The defendant had allegedly taken the older man’s phone, so Ms Kim also expressed concern that if he was bailed to live with his father, his father might be put in a situation where he would also be unable to call emergency services.
But Special Magistrate Richter said doctors found the defendant had been clinically suitable to be discharged from the adult mental health unit.
He granted bail on numerous conditions, including that the defendant reside under a curfew, not use alcohol or drugs and not contact the older man or be in the suburb of Bruce.
The matter was adjourned to 28 November. No pleas were entered.
I am sorry to hear about your relatives. I hope they recover quickly. However, In addition to… View