“Bullsh*t”: Prisoner faces court on drugs charges, disrupts proceedings

A man under police surveillance for other matters was arrested and charged after being spotted getting in and out of cars on the Bargara Esplanade.

Antonio Savic

A man already serving time in jail got off on one drugs charge but was convicted of another when he fronted the Bundaberg Magistrate’s Court in custody this week.

Antonio Abramovic, 33, appeared irate when he faced the court after refusing bail granted to him on September 16, 2024.

He represented himself on charges of possessing dangerous drugs and possessing property suspected of being the proceeds of drugs.

The court heard that on the morning of July 19, 2022, Abramovic was under police surveillance for an unrelated issue when he was seen leaving a property on Avondale Street, Bargara, in a grey Ford Focus along with an unnamed driver.

Just before 9am, the pair arrived at Bargara Esplanade near Turtle Park, where Abramovic got out of the car and entered the passenger side of a second vehicle alleged to be a Great Wall SUV, and remained in the vehicle with another unnamed man for 11 minutes.

On his return to the Ford hatchback, a joint task force between a specialised unit and police officers arrested him in relation to another matter, and searched the car and its occupants.

A senior police officer on the scene told the court he was given a thick wallet found on Abramovic.

Abramovic interrupted court proceedings to allege he’d been in possession of $18,900, which he claimed was mishandled by police and he had in his possession a number of bank statements to prove it.

He claimed his case could be proven by police video provided to the court.

Antonio Abramovic has faced court on drugs charges.

Another police officer said there “was not more than $2500” found in the wallet, and a further $15,000 was seized from a suitcase found in the back seat of the hatchback, along with a watch, and a number of international drivers licences with the defendant’s face.

Abramovic continued to disrupt proceedings by yelling “objection” throughout police prosecutor Vicki Kennedy-Grills’ submissions to court.

He alleged a number of times that he was being implicated in imaginary drug charges and had been set up by the police who conducted the July 19 search.

“This case has nothing to do with justice,” he said to the court.

“Show me the transactions.”

In another outburst following Sergeant Kennedy-Grills’ recommendation that he be fined $1000 fine and made to forfeit $17,000 to police, Abramovic said “magistrate court, district, supreme has nothing to do with justice... I’m not going to get into it.. This is bullsh*t”.

Magistrate Edwina Rowan addressed this claim and found that the matter could not be determined from any of the video evidence submitted by police prosecution, but conceded that the possession of drugs charge could not be confidently determined and the charge was dropped.

Abramovic interrupted the magistrate’s reading of the verdict again to say “I’m innocent, your honour”.

“They’re full of sh*t.”

“Suspicion is not evidence,” he said while interrupting the police prosecutor.

The possession of drugs charge was dismissed, while Abramovic was ordered to pay a $1000 fine and forfeit $17,000 on the second charge.

He demanded that the court send him documents to appeal the sentence, a request the magistrate said she could not fulfil.

Abramovic is currently serving time in Maryborough Correctional Centre fora other offences, including assault occasioning bodily harm whilst armed, unlawful use of motor vehicle, threat and common assault.