Jarrad Pointon: Nerang man charged with armed robberies at Arundel, Nerang
A young Gold Coast man charged alongside a co-accused with robbing an Arundel adult store and a Nerang pizza restaurant while armed with an axe has made a bid for freedom.
A young Gold Coast man charged alongside a co-accused with robbing an adult store and a pizza restaurant while armed with an axe has been granted bail.
Nerang man Jarrad David Pointon, 25, appeared via videolink in Southport Magistrates Court on December 3, where defence lawyer Breannan Callaghan made a bail application on his behalf.
Mr Pointon faces two charges each of entering premises with intent to commit an indictable offence and aggravated armed robbery, both of which were allegedly committed on November 5 in the company of 42-year-old co-accused Boe McKenzie.
Mr McKenzie is additionally charged with further counts of armed robbery and entering premises with intent to commit an indictable offence, as well as two counts of stealing and one count each of contravening a direction of police, possessing schedule 4 medication without a prescription, and failing to appear.
Police alleged in a statement issued after the pair’s arrest they entered Playhouse Adult Store at Brisbane Rd, Arundel about 8.15pm on November 5, and threatened a female staff member aged in her 20s, before fleeing the scene with a quantity of cash.
Police further allege the pair then entered Domino’s Nerang, located on Station St, about 11.03pm armed with the same weapons, threatening staff and again stealing a quantity of cash.
Mr McKenzie was arrested shortly afterwards, while Mr Pointon was arrested the following day.
Before Magistrate Lisa O’Neill on Wednesday, the court heard it would be alleged Mr Pointon was armed with an axe.
Ms Callaghan told the court her client, who suffered complex mental health issues and was currently under observation in custody, had no criminal history and had a strong support network, with his mother and two other supporters present in court.
She told the court Mr Pointon’s alleged offending appeared to be out of character, citing several character references, and said her client actually handed himself in at the Southport Police Station on November 6.
Ms Callaghan said Mr Pointon had only known the co-accused Mr McKenzie for about three months prior to the alleged offending, and he had been staying with her client, but this was no longer the case (Mr McKenzie has been remanded in pre-sentence custody).
Magistrate O’Neill agreed that “peer group seems to have been a factor” in the alleged offending.
Police opposed Mr Pointon’s bail on the basis of risk of further offending.
Prosecutor Blake Dickson told the court that many of the current protective measures proposed had been in place for several years and it “just hasn’t worked out”.
He further said police were concerned about Mr Pointon’s use of alcohol “when he has an income”.
Magistrate O’Neill said the alleged offending must have been “terrifying” for the staff involved.
She noted his “complex” needs stemming from diagnoses of schizoaffective disorder, bipolar, and a host of other conditions, and acknowledged his “very loving and supportive family who obviously struggle to assist him”.
She granted bail on conditions including that he abide by a 7pm – 7am curfew, report to police twice weekly, have no contact with Mr McKenzie, wear an electronic monitoring device, and update his mental health care plan with a particular focus on addressing his substance/alcohol abuse.
Mr Pointon’s charges will next be mentioned on January 29, while Mr McKenzie’s are set to return on January 20.
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Originally published as Jarrad Pointon: Nerang man charged with armed robberies at Arundel, Nerang
