Gold Coast handyman Brett Carmichael refused bail over alleged raid dressed as Santa that netted $1m in cryptocurrency, cash

A handyman has been refused bail on charges of storming a Brisbane home while armed, tying up the three residents and stealing more than $1 million in cryptocurrency and cash.

Detectives have charged three men following investigations into an armed robbery in Karawatha earlier this month. Picture Queensland Police

A Gold Coast handyman has been refused bail on charges of storming a Brisbane home while armed, tying up the three residents and stealing more than $1 million in cryptocurrency and cash while dressed as Santa Claus.

Brett Carmichael applied for bail in Brisbane Supreme Court on Thursday on charges of three counts each of armed robbery in company with personal violence and deprivation of liberty, and one count each of enter dwelling with intent and computer hacking to gain a benefit.

He is one of three men accused of invading a crypto-millionaire’s home in Karawatha at 2.10pm on January 3 this year while wearing hats and fake beards and tying the man and his family up then stealing $1m in crypto by installing a remote-access computer program onto his computer.

Police allege Carmichael arrived at the Karawatha home with the two others in a white delivery van.

The trio also stole two Swiss watches – an Audemars Piguet and a Rolex – and $100,000 in cash from a safe.

In refusing bail Chief Justice Helen Bowskill summarised the police allegations against the 39-year-old from Ormeau, on the Gold Coast.

She said that police allege Carmichael arrived at the Karawatha home with the two others in a white delivery van disguised wearing a “fake beards” and they entered the house producing guns.

Guns that police allege were used at the home on Moon Circuit, Karawatha. Picture: Queensland Police

“It is alleged they then tied the hands of the three complainants,” Justice Bowskill said, describing the alleged victims as a man, his “older mother” and a 16-year-old child.

“They were tied with zipties, and threatened including threats to kill if they did not comply with their demands,” she said.

“The complainant was instructed to open the safe and fill a backpack and this included approximately $100,000 in cash as well as valuable jewellery and other currency,” she said.

“It is alleged the applicant then directed the complainant to login to his computer and install a remote access application,” Justice Bowskill told the court.

“While this occurred it is alleged the applicant was speaking on the phone to someone referred to as ‘The Boss’,” she said, summarising the allegations.

“This other person did obtain remote access and $1m in cryptocurrency was accessed and transferred,” she said.

Prosecutors allege the crime was premeditated and sophisticated with knowledge of what crypto belonged to the man.

The alleged stolen watches include an Audemars Piguet and a Rolex. Picture: Queensland Police

“The offenders eventually left but threatened the complainants that if they called the police they would return and kill them,” she said.

Carmichael was arrested ten days later on January 13, and $176,000 was found in the car he was in at the time, the court heard.

Police also found a cricut machine at Carmichael’s house during a search later that day, and when they searched his “Design Space” app on Carmichael’s phone used with the machine, they allegedly found a logo of “A 2 Z removals and cleaning team”.

Picture: Queensland Police

The “A 2 Z” logo was placed on the white van used in the alleged crime, the court heard.

Defence counsel Sarah Farnden KC submitted the prosecution case was circumstantial and not a strong case, with no direct evidence that her client was in the house during the robbery.

Police have CCTV evidence from inside the Karawatha house showing the three residents having their hands ziptied, and from outside showing the white van arriving at the home.

They also have CCTV from a Bunnings store which police allege shows Carmichael with one of his co-accused buying zip-ties, gloves and a tarp, 11 days before the January 3 raid.

Carmichael has a “substantial criminal history dating back to 2003” and was on bail at the time of the January 3 alleged robbery.

His case is due to return to court on April 1 for a committal mention.