Alleged Samurai sword killer Blake Davis' bid to remove monitoring anklet denied
Blake Davis – granted bail after the alleged murder of Sydney rapper Jet McKee last year on the condition he wear a GPS tracking device – has had his bid to remove the anklet denied.
NSW
Don't miss out on the headlines from NSW. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- Accused samurai killer to stand trial
- Murder accused allowed to return to crime scene
- Accused samurai sword killer’s life on bail
Accused Samurai sword killer Blake Davis has unsuccessfully tried to have his electronic monitoring anklet removed after saying he cannot afford it anymore.
Davis, 30, and his lover Hannah Quinn, 25 — both charged over the murder of rapper Jett McKee in Sydney last year — appeared on Monday in the Supreme Court where his lawyer Abigail Bannister pushed for the anklet to be removed after a “change” in his financial circumstances.
The court was told Davis was granted bail by Justice Stephen Rothman on the condition he wear the GPS tracking device, which is supervised by an electronic monitoring company.
But Ms Bannister said Davis was no longer working as a removalist and did not have enough money to continue to pay before his upcoming murder trial, having already spent $27,500 on the device since his release.
“(He) does not have the money, it then becomes incumbent on various family members … to foot the cost for him – his mother’s reluctance to ask favours and loans from friends means her resolution … is she will put it on (a) credit card and have to pay that back,” she said.
“It is more onerous than appropriate to require a third party to take out a loan to pay for a condition.
“He had initially thought that (an) income would be continuing, but it has not. He has a legitimate change of circumstances.”
In NSW, people applying for bail can offer to wear an anklet in a bid to show to the court they intend to obey any imposed conditions and must pay for it themselves.
However, Justice Stephen Campbell dismissed Davis’ application to have it removed, saying it was unusual for people accused of murder to be granted bail.
“I accept that there is hardship and that this condition is financially onerous, but I’m not satisfied … that Justice Rothman would have granted bail in any event had the (monitoring) condition not been put forward as a suite of appropriate conditions,” he said.
“(Justice Rothman) described … a general risk of flight … I understand (Justice Rothman) to mean in cases involving a charge of murder the … consequences for (Davis) if convicted are such that if a person of moral aptitude may give in to what … might be described as the inevitable temptation to flee.
“I’m not satisfied … financial hardship … really represents a material change of circumstances justifying a departure from Justice Rothman’s decision.”
Instead, Justice Campbell reduced Davis’ bail surety from $493,000 to $465,000 to allow the family to continue to pay for the anklet.
A court previously heard McKee assaulted Davis with knuckledusters in a botched home invasion at the couple’s Forest Lodge flat.
Police will allege Quinn chased McKee outside, pushing him to the ground where Davis is alleged to have fatally struck him with a Samurai sword.
Davis and Quinn will return to court on Friday when they will be arraigned before their upcoming trial.