Richard Douglas Bell seeks bail over alleged Brisbane shooting

A judge has expressed empathy for a man accused of attempted murder with the court hearing a makeshift firearm may have discharged accidentally in inner city Brisbane.

The scene at a Bowen Hills address. Picture: Andreas Nicola

A judge has expressed empathy for a man charged with attempted murder as the court hears a makeshift firearm may have discharged accidentally in inner city Brisbane.

Richard Douglas Bell, 54, went to assist an associate in recovering a necklace when a 40-year-old man was allegedly shot in the hip in Bowen Hills in July 2023, Brisbane’ Supreme Court heard.

Bell and the woman he was allegedly helping were charged with attempted murder, attempted armed robbery, acts intended to maim/disfigure/disable and unlawful possession of a weapon.

Crown prosecutor James Bishop opposed a bail application by Bell on Wednesday.

“Clearly he’s an unacceptable risk of committing further offences and endangering the safety and the wellbeing of the community. The offence was committed only six months after the expiration of parole for another serious offence of aggravated robbery,” he alleged.

Mr Bishop alleged Bell was trying to recover the chain “under the threat of violence at the very least” and the weapon, which was not his, had not been recovered.

Police on the scene at a Bowen Hills address. Picture: Andreas Nicola

Bell, who was self-represented and appeared via video link, was ready to accept any bail conditions imposed by the court.

“I am willing to do anything I have to do to please the court that no one else in the community is going to be in any kind of danger,” he said.

“I don’t think I would be a threat to the community at all your honour I have changed my ways from doing that type of stuff.

“I got caught up in something I shouldn’t have nothing to do with.”

He said his mother had died while he was in custody.

Justice Melanie Hindman said they were “pretty peculiar” offences with Bell, in the days after losing his sister, helping a woman who wasn’t even a friend to try and recover a necklace off the alleged victim.

“He didn’t have any beef with this person,” she said.

“The wounding was likely an accident, that’s the suggestion … some dodgy firearm that someone’s put together has accidentally gone off.”

She said Bell didn’t have a history of using weapons and while it didn’t appear to be intentional “he ended up actually really hurting somebody, because it went off into the person’s hip”.

Justice Hindman accepted Bell had been trying to get his life together but had offences as recently as 2022.

Even if the charges were downgraded Bell was not at risk of serving too much time in custody, she said.

“I actually have a lot of empathy for you, Mr Bell, on a personal level, but I’m not going to be able to give you bail today,” Justice Hindman said.

“That’s OK,” he replied.