Shane Roberts: Castlemaine man collapses in court after bail denied

A Castlemaine man accused of beating his pregnant girlfriend’s neighbour collapsed in court moments after he was denied bail.

Castlemaine man Shane Robert, 33, collapsed in Bendigo Magistrates' Court in a suspected epileptic fit after being denied bail on Wednesday July 14. Picture: Zizi Averill

A Castlemaine man accused of beating his pregnant girlfriend’s neighbour collapsed in court moments after being denied bail.

Shane Roberts, 33, appeared in Bendigo Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday facing charges of robbery, theft and recklessly causing injury only two days earlier.

Roberts suffered a suspected epileptic attack moments after magistrate Susan Wakeling said he was an unacceptable risk and could not be released.

The Castlemaine man fell to the floor as members of the court rushed to help.

Witnesses said the man had multiple violent fits in the dock.

It is understood Roberts has been diagnosed with epilepsy.

Roberts was conscious as he was taken to the ambulance just after 3pm.

Paramedics are treating a man who collapsed shortly after his bail was denied at #Bendigo Magistrates' Court. @[e-mail]/RuximqIKOd

— Zizi Averill (@ZiziAverill) July 14, 2021

He was accused of attacking a bike rider on Tuesday July 12.

Central Goldfields Senior Constable Daniel Brady told the court the alleged Castlemaine victim was riding his bike at 10.30am when a silver Ford Falcon slowed near him.

Snr Constable Brady said the man recognised his neighbour at the wheel and her boyfriend, Roberts, in the passenger seat.

Roberts was accused of yelling abuse at the man as the car pulled to a stop, before throwing a concrete block at the biker.

Snr Constable Brady said the victim tried to walk away, but the 33-year-old continued to attack him.

He said the victim was punched to the head and neck and curled into the foetal position to protect himself.

But he said this did not stop Roberts’s attack, as he allegedly continued to kick and punch his victim.

Roberts is also accused of demanding his victim’s phone, wallet and cash.

Snr Constable Brady said Roberts smashed the man’s phone to the ground before rifling through his pockets for his wallet.

He said after the attack the biker returned to his mother, who called triple-zero so he could be taken to Bendigo Health.

Snr Constable Brady said the man required two staples to his head, as Roberts’s attack had pierced through the man’s bike helmet and a hat.

“(It was) multiple substantial strikes to the head,” he said.

Snr Constable Brady said his victim claimed Roberts had previously made threats to break into his home and business prior to the assault, but police had not yet seen these messages.

Roberts, who was representing himself in the bail hearing, said he was being protective of his girlfriend who was 23 weeks pregnant.

“I lost my sh-t,” Roberts told Ms Wakeling.

“I bashed him.”

Ms Wakeling cautioned the Castlemaine man to not continue talking until he organised a legal representative.

On Wednesday July 14 Ms Wakeling denied Roberts bail, not only on the evidence from the prosecution but “from what has come from your own mouth”.

“You’re obviously angry and there is strong evidence for the prosecution,” he said.

“The risks are just too high today.”

She said Roberts should be assessed for the Court Integrated Services Program, and could reapply for bail at a later date.

Roberts’s epileptic attack comes only a week after a Bendigo mother died in Melbourne County Court while defending her son.

It is understood Roberts will remain under police guard in hospital until he recovers.

He is set to reappear in Bendigo Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday July 21.