Long Gully man Graeme Roberts refused bail charged over string of burglaries

A Bendigo man begged for bail through tears, claiming he should get a fifth chance at bail because he allegedly ratted out two associates in a servo burglary.

Graeme Roberts has been charged over a string of burglaries across Bendigo and Central Victoria.

A Bendigo man charged over a string of burglaries turned on the water works as he begged for bail, claiming he should get a fifth chance because he ratted out his alleged associates in a servo burglary.

Long Gully man Graeme Roberts was arrested yesterday and charged over a string of burglaries across Bendigo and Central Victoria, including at a home in Marong and a BP service station in Rochester.

The court heard the victim of the Marong burglary – which Roberts denies involvement in – was left terrified for her children’s safety.

Graeme Roberts has been refused bail.

Mr Roberts applied for bail in Bendigo Magistates’ Court on Wednesday where he represented himself, telling the court, “I didn’t even go into the house, how can I be charged?”

Police opposed bail, arguing Mr Roberts’ alleged offending had only escalated over the four other times he had already been released on bail and he needed to be locked up to protect the community.

Detective Senior Constable Andy Matthews told the court Mr Roberts had been on bail charged over an alleged 220km/h police chase involving the Police Air Wing at Bridgewater in September last year where he allegedly narrowly missed hitting a police officer at about 90km/h.

Detective Matthews said it was “only a matter of time” until Mr Roberts killed an innocent person with his driving.

A Marong woman said she was left terrified after Graeme Roberts’ allegedly burgled her home.

The court heard Mr Roberts was also on several counts of bail multiple thefts, dishonesty and violence offences, in one case allegedly being busted using his own Facebook account to sell a stolen motorbike

Detective Matthews told the court no court imposed orders had slowed Mr Roberts down, and he had not hesitated to continue to allegedly terrorise the community with crime while on bail.

Mr Roberts argued he should be released because he had co-operated with police, giving them the names of two associates allegedly involved in the burglary of the BP service station at Rochester.

Choking back tears as he begged for a fifth chance, Mr Roberts told the court he had lost his job and home after his release from prison in 2022, and had struggled to stay on the straight and narrow, but now he was seeking drug rehabilitation treatment and was turning his life around, claiming being in custody would “set me back” and “wouldn’t benefit me”.

Magistrate Megan Aumair said Mr Roberts’ fingerprints had allegedly been found at crime scenes of burglaries he was charged with committing while on bail for serious driving offences.

She said Roberts did need help to get his life back on track, but if released he would “likely” reoffend and refused his bail.

Roberts tearily interjected with: “But I won’t, Your Honour”.

He will return to court on July 18.