Ma Mal-J Toala pleads guilty to breaching Supreme Court bail imposed over a murder charge

A man facing a murder charge has had his bail revoked after a court this week heard he had breached his conditions of release more than a dozen times.

A man on strict Supreme Court bail conditions relating to a murder charge has been arrested and taken back into custody after a court this week heard he travelled interstate.

Ma Mal-J Toala, 20, went to Sydney to see his mother instead of living with his sister and reporting daily to Ipswich police. Ipswich Magistrates Court heard.

Prosecutor Sergeant Trent Voigt said Toala was first granted bail at the Brisbane Supreme Court on April 1 last year.

Appearing from jail via video-link, Toala pleaded guilty to 17 bail breaches committed between May 14 and June 1 by failing to report to police.

He pleaded guilty to breaching bail between May 13 and July 20 by not residing at North Booval; contravening a police requirement to state his name and details at Holmview on July 20; and breaching bail by failing to report to police between June 21 and July 19. He also breached a probation order.

Sgt Voigt said police went to a house at Holmview on July 25 and spoke to a female who told officers she had not seen Toala for several months.

Police searched the property, however, and found him hiding at the rear of the house.

Sgt Voigt confirmed to Magistrate David Shepherd that Toala had been on bail for a charge of murder, with the case still before a higher court.

He said that he understood that the Supreme Court had since revoked Toala’s bail.

Lawyer Tristan Carlos from Queensland Legal Aid said Toala was young and had been granted bail with particularly onerous conditions.

“He was to live with his sister at North Booval in a strict religious household,” Mr Carlos said.

“His partner fell pregnant and he was not in a position to support her. He was not able to leave the house at all with a 24-hour curfew, and only able to leave to report to the police.

“It put considerable strain on his partner and on himself and he left the address at North Booval in February to be with her.

“His mother in Sydney became aware the partner was pregnant and she wanted to urgently see him.”

Mr Shepherd said Toala had 11 prior bail breaches on his record with six court appearances.

Toala was sentenced to concurrent terms of three months jail for the breaches.

He was given a parole eligibility date of November 24.