Mother of Norwood hit-run accused James Watts ‘handed in stolen laptop to police’
THE mother of a man accused of a hit and run robbery outside a popular eastern suburbs cafe handed a stolen laptop into police after her son told her it would “implicate” him, a court has heard.
THE mother of a man accused of a hit and run robbery outside a popular eastern suburbs cafe handed a stolen laptop into police after her son told her it would “implicate” him, a court has heard.
James Michael Watts, 29, is charged with Kieran Callaghan-Wight, 25, over the incident outside Manto Café, on George Street, near The Parade, Norwood, last year.
Police allege victim Jeph Ko was sitting outside the cafe on Sunday, July 3, about 5.45pm, when the men pulled up in a white Mitsubishi van and snatched his laptop, valued at up to $2500.
They further allege that when Mr Ko, 33, tried to get his laptop back, he was struck by the van and dragged up to 60m along the road.
The Adelaide Magistrates Court heard on Friday that CCTV footage from a nearby shop and cafe identifies Watts, a father of one, entering the vehicle “shortly before” the incident.
Opposing bail for Watts, prosecutor Jemma Litster told the court that he was identified by the security camera vision, taken at 5.36pm — although she conceded the footage was “grainy”.
Mr Ko a Taiwanese-born photographer and city cafe worker also known as Er-Hsin Ko, remained in the Royal Adelaide Hospital’s intensive care unit for several weeks with spinal injuries and broken bones, including to his ribs and ankle.
The vehicle, which Ms Litster said was registered to Watts, was found dumped and torched early the next morning at River Rd, Port Noarlunga — 45km from the accident scene.
Ms Litster told the court how a subsequent search of Watts’ girlfriend’s house located cut up licence plates that were identified in civilian photographs taken as the van fled the scene.
She added: “The laptop of (Mr Ko) was turned in by (Watts’) mother. She told police he had given it to her because he did not want it around him because it would implicate him.”
Casey Issacs, defending Watts, urged bail as his client had voluntarily surrendered to police, his young daughter was aged two and his stepfather had just been diagnosed with cancer — while any potential trial was 12 months away.
“There is going to be issue with … identification,” he added. Magistrate Paul Foley rejected this argument and refused bail over the seriousness of the charges.
Watts, of Aldinga Beach, and Callaghan-Wright, of Glenunga, have yet to plead to one aggravated charge each of committing theft using force and cause harm to another.
They also have yet to plead to fabricating or altering to conceal evidence, fail to answer questions of the identity of a driver or owner of a vehicle and making off without payment at Glenunga.
The pair was remanded in custody to face court again next month.