Attempted murder accused John Koii seeks changed bail conditions after missing footy with sons

She was left with severe and lifelong injuries, now her accused attacker wants to go camping and attend the footy.

Jon Koii, 54, leaving Brisbane Supreme Court. Picture: Liam Kidston

A Queensland father who allegedly tried to murder a woman by physically holding her into a fire has attempted to revoke a number of his “inconvenient” bail conditions.

Jon Koii, 54, submitted to Brisbane’s Supreme Court on Friday that his bail conditions were unnecessarily onerous because they restricted him from picking up his mother from the airport and taking his sons to watch football.

The Papua New Guinea-born man is charged with attempting to murder a woman at a Gatton address last June, with the offence alleged to have involved domestic violence.

The court heard the woman was left with “severe and lifelong injuries” after Koii allegedly held her in a fire – continuing even after a witness attempted to intervene.

The woman was taken to Toowoomba Hospital on June 10, 2024, after emergency services were called to a Wiggins Street property around 2.30am.

Koii, who had been working as a strawberry picker, was taken into custody in the following weeks before being granted bail in February.

He represented himself at a Supreme Court bail variation application on Friday, in which he requested that a number of his bail conditions be revoked.

“In my life I (had) never been into prison and all my family members they have never been to prison,” Koii said.

Justice Sean Cooper found that Jon Koii Jon Koi, 54, had not shown cause that his bail conditions should be amended. Picture: Liam Kidston

“I’ve been living here 30 years in Australia and I’ve been working very hard … I did my best to live a good life as an Australian citizen.”

Koii submitted that he had respected his bail conditions when granted bail, but had acted against them for “a very good reason” in April.

The court heard Koii’s bail conditions restricted him from travelling more than 60km from his bail address, which he had requested an exemption for to pick up multiple vehicles from Gatton.

But when the request was refused, Koii said he went to Gatton anyway to take photos of the vehicles.

Koii requested the condition be revoked, saying it had further prevented him from travelling to watch the football with his two teenage sons.

Koii also took issue with the condition requiring him to report to police three times a week, claiming it was causing him financial hardship in circumstances where he was on Centrelink and in care of his sons.

He further submitted that his curfew condition prevented him from camping overnight after fishing trips with his sons, and that his international travel restriction prevented him from picking his mother up from the airport – despite him having an ankle monitor surveilling his movements.

“I want to resume my normal life,” Koii told the court.

Justice Sean Cooper found that Koii had merely shown that the bail conditions were “inconvenient” – but not unnecessary.

“All of those matters ought to have been apparent to the applicant at the time bail was granted on those conditions, and it was not submitted then,” Justice Cooper said.

He noted that the onus was on Koii to demonstrate that the conditions were more onerous than necessary to reduce any risks he posed on bail to an acceptable level.

Justice Cooper found that Koii had not shown cause and refused the application to vary Koii’s bail.

The court heard Koii’s trial would likely proceed in 2026.

Originally published as Attempted murder accused John Koii seeks changed bail conditions after missing footy with sons