Kim Apter granted bail after allegedly misleading police in the wake of Paddington gunpoint robbery
A woman accused of misleading police on the scene of a Paddington armed robbery has been granted bail, with the court hearing her alleged deception of cops was akin to something out of a slapstick comedy.
Wentworth Courier
Don't miss out on the headlines from Wentworth Courier. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- ‘I’ll just bet again’: Court hears high-roller’s alleged taunt
- Why this new restaurant is the toast of Sydney
The woman accused of assisting in her partner’s getaway after he allegedly held up a Paddington boutique at gunpoint has been granted bail, with her lawyer comparing the series of events to something akin to a slapstick comedy.
Kim Marie Apter, 48, arrived on scene at Status Anxiety not long after the Oxford St store was robbed by a gunman in June, allegedly misleading police as to the whereabouts of their suspect.
The next day, she and the alleged robber David Mellis were arrested together in Darlinghurst.
During her bail hearing at Central Local Court today, her lawyer said he had “never come across such an interesting and organised manner of robbery” and compared the incident to something out of Keystone Cops, a silent comedy from the early 1900s.
The court heard police accuse Apter of remaining at the scene and pointing detectives in the wrong direction in the wake of the robbery.
Her lawyer submitted that the evidence only suggested that she happened to be in Paddington at the time.
A young shop assistant was left shaken by the incident on June 8, which unfolded in broad daylight on the affluent strip in the eastern suburbs.
Mellis, 52, is accused of threatening the young woman with a gun before fleeing with a sum of cash and goods.
Magistrate Clare Farnan was told when Apter was arrested by Kings Cross detectives she was wearing a watch with the branding of Status Anxiety.
However, she described the police case regarding Apter’s role as “weak”.
“The case against Apter could be described as not strong, arguably it could be described as weak,” Magistrate Farnan said.
“In the facts there is little evidence and the fact that she was aware of the offence of the co-accused, to the extent to which she misled police about where he had gone, relies on inferences.”
News tips? Email: anton.rose@news.com.au