Connor Kennedy denied bail over armed robbery, thefts

A Norlane man has fronted Geelong court, accused of holding a knife to a woman’s body as his mate held a gun to her neck, during a shocking alleged armed robbery.

Connor Kennedy.

A Norlane man has fronted Geelong court, accused of holding a knife to a woman’s body as his mate held a gun to her neck.

Connor Kennedy, 23, appeared in the Geelong Magistrates Court on Friday to apply for bail, facing a number of charges including armed robbery and a spree of thefts of, and from, cars throughout July.

Police informant Detective Senior Constable David Baskin told the court that on Thursday afternoon, Mr Kennedy, along with three others – two women and a man – went to a Norlane woman’s address to collect some of her boyfriend’s belongings.

The boyfriend was in custody, having been arrested that morning, the court heard.

When they arrived, she told them to “get out of (her) house” before Mr Kennedy allegedly became “aggressive”.

Mr Kennedy is alleged to have said “I don’t give a f--k, I’m going to jail anyway”.

During the altercation that followed, Mr Kennedy’s male co-accused held a gun to the woman’s neck, while Mr Kennedy allegedly held a “large hunting knife” against her body.

A neighbour who came to see what was happening was attacked and left with facial swelling, Detective Baskin said.

The alleged victim’s six-year-old son, who witnessed the incident, begged them “please don’t kill my mummy”, the court heard.

Much of the incident was caught on CCTV, Detective Baskin said, which shows Mr Kenndy’s co-accused with the gun and Mr Kennedy with the knife.

The woman had also called Geelong Criminal Investigation Unit (CIU), and officers overheard some of the alleged altercation.

Around 5.45pm, Mr Kennedy and his co-accused were arrested in a car on Eagle Pde.

Police found 9mm cartridge ammunition, drugs including ice and 1,4 butanediol and a folding knife in Mr Kennedy’s possession, Detective Baskin said.

The two female co-accused were arrested but released pending further inquiries, and were both in court to support Mr Kennedy.

Detective Baskin told the court Mr Kenndy has a “history of drug use” and wasn’t working.

He said the alleged victim was “completely opposed” to bail.

Speaking on his own behalf, Mr Kennedy told the court he would move back in with his father, who would be “happy to have (him)”.

“When I was with my old man I was doing good … it was all fine,” Mr Kennedy said.

Mr Kennedy said he was “not going to get out here and start tampering with witnesses and that”.

He said his former workplace was willing to take him back and said his aunt had recently died.

Magistrate Urfa Masood told Mr Kennedy the alleged offences were “really serious” and said it appeared to be a “relatively strong case”.

She said that if he was found guilty, he’d face “a fair bit of time in prison”.

“They can’t prove the knife was pulled out of the thing,” Mr Kennedy interjected.

Ms Masood said she saw an “escalation” in Mr Kennedy’s alleged offending throughout the month of July and refused bail.

Mr Kennedy will reappear in court on October 29.

Originally published as Connor Kennedy denied bail over armed robbery, thefts