Trent Kitchin: Loganlea man applies for bail on GBH charge

A 21-year-old Logan man with a previous conviction for grievous bodily harm has applied for bail on another GBH charge.

A young Logan man who allegedly fractured his ex-partner’s father’s skull by striking him in the head from behind with a star picket has been granted bail despite an agreement between the prosecution and defence the evidence is strong and a previous GBH conviction for the defendant.

Loganlea man Trent Gregory Kitchin, 21, was released from custody on Friday after defence lawyer Katherine Long made a successful bail application in Beenleigh Magistrates Court.

Mr Kitchin had been remanded in custody since his arrest on July 17 last year.

Loganlea man Trent Gregory Kitchin, 21. Picture: Facebook

He is charged with 10 offences which include grievous bodily harm, two counts of dangerous operation of a vehicle, two counts each of driving uninsured and unregistered, possessing cannabis, and two counts of driving on a licence disqualified by court order.

Police allege the grievous bodily harm was committed at Greenbank on April 30 last year at a residence belonging to neither Mr Kitchin nor his alleged victim.

There was allegedly a conflagration at the residence involving many different parties, during which police claim Mr Kitchin approached his ex-partner’s father from behind, armed with a star picket, and struck him in the head.

“There is a high strength of evidence that the defendant struck (the man,” police prosecutor Sgt Darrel Armfield told the court.

“It appears confirmed by other information that the person struck was unarmed and hit from behind.

“The defendant was on parole at the time and went into hiding as a result of that, which does go to the guilty mind.”

The court heard Mr Kitchin had a previous conviction for grievous bodily harm on his criminal history.

He was arrested last July following an alleged high-speed chase beginning about 9pm at Woodridge which involved Polair and the deployment of a stinger tyre-deflation device.

Police allege this dangerous driving offence occurred just the day after he was given police bail on an additional charge of dangerous operation of a vehicle.

Magistrate Kerrie O’Collaghan was ultimately persuaded to grant bail by delays in the handing over of the police brief of evidence into the GBH charge.

Despite its disclosure date being last September, the court heard police had yet to hand it over to the defence.

Mr Kitchin will be contesting the GBH charge, the court heard.

His charges will next be mentioned on March 24.

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