By CAMERON LUCADOU-WELLS
A PRISONER in custody for more than two weeks was unable to apply for bail because Corrections Victoria failed to transport him from remand to Dandenong Magistrates’ Court.
Magistrate Gerard Bryant branded the situation as “lamentable” after being told that Craig Ivor Bowen and three other prisoners could not be presented to court from Melbourne Custody Centre.
“It’s a lamentable situation that the system is under so much strain that he is not being brought to court for a bail application – where he may not be required to be in (remand) any more is a cause of concern.
Bowen’s defence barrister Alan Hands successfully applied for $1000 costs against Corrections Victoria for the aborted hearing.
Craig Ivor Bowen, who had been in custody for more than two weeks, was scheduled to appear at court on Monday to apply for bail over charges of indecent exposure in a Fountain Gate department store’s female clothing section.
His next scheduled hearing is on 15 November.
Mr Hands indicated to the court that Bowen, in seeking bail, would reverse his “ill-considered” guilty pleas lodged by a “Legal Aid Victoria lawyer” on 14 October.
At the time, Magistrate Pauline Spencer ordered Bowen to be held in custody for eight weeks while undertaking a full psychiatric assessment prior to sentencing on 11 December.
Mr Hands told the Journal he didn’t know when Bowen would be transferred from police cells into Melbourne Remand Centre.
“It’s dreadful. I rang Corrections (on Tuesday) and they said there’s a crisis within the prison system.
“He’s been in police cells for 14 days, exceeding Corrections Victoria guidelines. They said they can’t get him out of police cells into Melbourne Remand Centre straightaway. There’s not enough beds.
“Apparently there were 13 in the Dandenong Magistrates’ Court police cells on Monday and there may not have been room there.”
A Corrections Victoria spokesman said last week that temporary accommodation had been added to prisons to help ease pressure on police cells.
He said the government had opened 631 prison beds since 2011 – with more than 1900 “in the pipeline” to cater for growing numbers of prisoners.
“To manage the increase in demand, Corrections Victoria has boosted prisoner transport services and will continue to support prisoners to appear via video link whenever the court determines it’s appropriate.”
