Russell Island’s Bradley Frances Groat, 49, allegedly tries to ‘dodge’ tracking device

A Russell Island man police allege had possession of a sawn-off shotgun while charged with issuing threats had his bail denied after allegedly interfering with a tracking device.

A man whom police allege was intercepted in a vehicle outside a vulnerable person’s house while armed with a firearm has had his bail denied after allegedly interfering with his tracking device.

Former Russell Island, now Cleveland man Bradley Frances Groat, 49, reluctantly left the dock at Cleveland Magistrates Court on Wednesday after a magistrate deemed him too great a risk to the community.

Groat was charged with three counts of breaching bail; unlawful possession of weapons; issuing threats; causing a public nuisance; obstructing police; possessing dangerous drugs and making unnecessary noise and smoke, among others.

The court heard Groat was banned from Russell Island and had only been released on bail should he maintain a battery-driven tracking device.

Having claimed his device faulty, a subsequent mechanical inspection of it proved it was in correct working order.

Police allege Groat purposely ran the device down on at least 11 occasions between October 1 – 17, and could not be contacted on his mobile phone in each instance that police received notice of the device being offline.

“The only reason why he was released into the community is the magistrate put in place conditions that he wasn’t to go back to the island,” a police prosecutor said.

“The magistrate put in place the ankle device and that ankle device was imperative because it was the only true way for us to know where he was.

“I can inform the court that the ankle bracelet is in good order.

“He is deliberately wearing it low in battery so we can’t track his movements.

“The system would have worked but he tried to dodge the system.”

The prosecution submitted that Groat posed a significant threat to the community.

Multiple images of the defendant posing with firearms were tendered to the court while a prosecutor submitted that police were only able to confiscate one of two weapons, which included a sawn-off shotgun.

A prosecutor said one of the images featuring Groat posing with a pistol stated, “When you deciding on who betrayed you the hardest”.

Of most concern, according to police, was that Groat had allegedly been intercepted by officers in a vehicle outside the residence of a person while in possession of a firearm.

The court heard Groat was banned from Russell Island. Picture: Facebook.

Defence solicitor Brittany White said her client had not deliberately run down his tracking device.

Rather, Ms White explained, Groat suffered from “forgetfulness and absent-mindedness” borne of a brain injury from a vehicle accident in his twenties.

No documentation supporting such an injury was provided to the court.

According to the defence, their client had simply forgotten to charge his device on each occasion and could not be contacted by police due to a frequently flat mobile phone.

Ms White assured that a new nightly routine to maintain the tracker would guarantee its working order.

Ms White stated further that the time on remand had impressed on the defendant the importance of its maintenance.

Speaking despite a caution from the bench not to do so, Groat told the court one of the weapons he was pictured with was a replica firearm.

“I am not a threat to anyone; I have learnt the lesson and it won’t happen again,” Groat said.

Magistrate Zachary Sarra expressed his concern at the defendant’s “seeming fascination with firearms” and rejected his explanation for failing to comply with his bail.

“This is one of those regrets you will have to live with,” Mr Sarra said.

Groat was remanded to custody and is next scheduled to appear before the court on November 11.