Jotham Martinez makes Supreme Court bail bid after alleged Kogarah stabbing

A 19-year-old man allegedly put on gloves and a face mask before he randomly walked up to AN unsuspecting man and stabbed him in the abdomen in Sydney’s south, a court has heard.

Police established a crime scene after a man was stabbed in Kogarah in April.

A Kogarah teenager has been refused bail for the second time after he allegedly put on gloves and a face mask before he randomly stabbed a factory worker in the abdomen earlier this year.

Jotham Martinez, 19, was charged with wounding a person with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and applied for release in Sydney Supreme Court on Monday.

He was previously refused bail in Sutherland Local Court in April.

The court heard a man, who worked at The Muglan Foods Factory, was packing a van parked in a driveway on the Princes Highway, Kogarah on April 10.

The court heard Martinez allegedly walked past the man and then doubled back a number of times before he put on a face mask and gloves.

The Kogarah crime scene in April.

Martinez then allegedly approached the man, used a 15cm kitchen knife and stabbed him in the lower side of the abdomen causing instant bleeding before he walked away.

The man was treated in the car park by paramedics before being taken to St George Hospital.

The court heard, after police arrived at the scene, Martinez allegedly walked up to officers and said, “I’m the one who stabbed that guy … I want to turn myself in. I can’t take it anymore”.

However at the police station, Martinez allegedly denied the earlier admissions and denied he was the person depicted in the CCTV.

In court, Martinez’s defence lawyer Mark Klees proposed strict bail conditions including house arrest and only being allowing out in the company of his parents.

He also said Martinez was young and this period on remand was his first in adult custody.

Martinez was also able to undertake a program and treatment for his mental health and drug addiction with an outpatient service called Community Restorative Centre.

Mr Klees conceded the case against his client appeared strong but noted his client had no issues or “beef” with the alleged victim.

Mr Klees added Martinez had very strong family ties, with his parents in court to support him, and Martinez could be in custody for many more months before the case was finalised.

Acting Judge Robert Hulme said he did not believe Martinez would comply with the bail conditions proposed or attend the treatment program.

“The randomness of victim selection and putting on gloves and a face mask is very concerning,” Judge Hulme said, adding it was “fortunate” the alleged victim did not die.

Martinez was refused bail and the case adjourned to October at Sydney Downing Centre.