By Cam Lucadou-Wells
A Cranbourne East man accused of family violence, drug trafficking and possessing a sawn-off shotgun has been refused bail at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on 4 February.
Police had allegedly found the 25-year-old self-confessed ice addict with his bloodied and bruised partner in a Commodore at Eden Rise Village shopping centre in Berwick on Boxing Day afternoon.
The “distressed” woman, “crying” and “hyperventilating”, had injuries to her neck, eyes, face and ears, Detective Senior Constable Andrew Paternott, of Victoria Police’s Armed Crime Squad, told the court.
She refused to make a statement but told police that the man had taken her phone after accusing her of “playing around”, Det Sen Const Paternott said.
The accused denied assaulting her during a “heated”, drug-affected argument at his parent’s home in Cranbourne East that morning.
The couple fled from the home after the man’s mother made a triple-0 call to report the assault at 1am earlier that day, police alleged.
Police also charged the man with being a prohibited person possessing a firearm, linking him to a double-barrelled sawn-off shot gun seized from a Lancer in Cranbourne North in January.
His genetic material allegedly matched DNA on the gun’s trigger.
Ammunition found in a black Puma bag in the Commodore’s boot also matched the gun – though the man disputed owning the bag, its contents or handling the gun.
Det Sen Const Paternott said police seized the man’s Louis Vouitton satchel from the Commodore on the day of his arrest.
Inside the satchel was what police believed to be crystal meth in deal bags, more than $800 cash, an ice pipe and another person’s bankcard, the court heard.
The man admitted he’d bought an “eight-ball” or about 3.5 grams of ‘ice’ that day, the court heard.
Police also seized a flick-knife, sheathed knife, Taser, hatchet, stolen number plates and a deal bag of what was believed to be ice, stolen bank and ID cards from the car.
A spent ammunition round was also found under the man’s bed at the family home, the court heard.
Family members refused to make formal statements about the alleged assault, Det Sen Const Paternott said.
Police were relying on photos of the partner’s injuries and the context of the mother’s triple-0 call, the court heard.
Defence barrister Nicholas Hanos argued that the man would receive drug treatment on a CISP program, if released on bail.
The man may not serve a jail sentence, given the prosecution case for the assault and weapons offences were “weak”, Mr Hanos said.
Magistrate Doug Bolster said the man failed to show compelling reasons for bail.
“In addition to that, I’m concerned that if released, he’s likely to commit further offences.
“He’s got a severe addiction to drugs – he’s told police that he can’t get off the drugs and he’s got a $600-a-day habit.”
Mr Bolster noted the man’s 36 days in remand since his arrest on Boxing Day would not be sufficient sentence, if found guilty on the charges.
He said the prosecution case was “not the strongest I’ve seen but certainly not the weakest”.
The man was remanded to face a mention hearing at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on 5 March.
