Katoomba: Scott Rennie refused bail after police siege

A 44-year-old man was allegedy armed with a tomahawk when he forced police into a hours-long seige in Katoomba.

Scott Rennie appeared at Katoomba Local Court after allegedly choking a woman. Picture: Google

The man at the centre of a dramatic police operation in the heart of the Blue Mountains on Tuesday morning has been remanded in custody.

Scott William Rennie, 44, of Katoomba, was charged with take/detain a person with intent to obtain advantage, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, choke a person with intent, and assault an officer in duty shortly after the four-hour ordeal on Lurline St, Katoomba, yesterday.

According to court documents, police allege Mr Rennie was in the home with a woman, who we will not name, when he began to threaten her with violence.

He then allegedly choked the woman and assaulted her before she managed to escape the premises.

Police then started negotiating with Mr Rennie, who was allegedly armed with a hatchet, for almost four hours before he was arrested at 1.50pm.

Rennie applied for bail before Magistrate Anthony Spence at Penrith Local Court on Wednesday, where his lawyer said he could agree to house-arrest conditions at an address in Wentworth Falls.

A man was allegedly involved in a four-hour standoff with police on Lurline Street, Katoomba. Picture: Google

“It’s possible sequence one (take/detain) might propose some weakness to the indictment, as they advantage was preventing her leaving,” his lawyer said.

“We’d question whether that constitutes an advantage.”

The prosecution opposed bail, saying Rennie had a long history of not complying with court orders.

“He has prior warrants, matters that have been called up on breached, and has breached his bail several times,” the prosecutor said.

“These are serious matters, and he has an extensive history of multiple and varied offences – the court can’t be satisfied he will comply with any conditions.”

Magistrate Spence said he was “very concerned” about the allegations.

“He’s got 23 pages of antecedence, including a very recent failure to comply with reporting obligations, which suggests he may not be mindful to comply with bail,” he said.

“He served a 14-month community corrections order for committing an act of indecency with a minor in 2019, and served seven years in jail for armed robbery in 2007.

“Having regard to the serious nature of the offending, and the strength of the prosecution case, I don’t propose to grant bail.”

Mr Rennie’s matter was adjourned to March 26.