Ringwood Magistrates’ Court: Middle finger to magistrate and muted over bail refusal
A man who allegedly went on a crime spree spanning more than a year and included two wild police chases has lashed out at the magistrate when he fronted court.
Outer East
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A Wheelers Hill man arrested after allegedly being involved in two police pursuits is accused of stealing a trombone, a saxophone, cars and electric scooters during a year-long crime spree.
Brett Black fronted the Ringwood Magistrates Court on Tuesday, requesting bail after spending 69 days in custody, where he had to be muted and could be seeing sticking up his middle finger to the magistrate.
The court heard Black had been charged with a string of robberies, car thefts and home burglaries spanning late 2022 to November 2023.
Black was arrested on November 21 after he was allegedly found sleeping in a gold 2005 Lexus that had been reported stolen.
Black allegedly attempted to evade police by jumping over a fence and dashing into dense bushland before he was arrested.
Police allege officers had attempted to arrest Black 11 days earlier when he failed to stop for police while driving on the Burwood Highway.
A police chase allegedly ensued, where the car was speeding, driving on the wrong side of the road into oncoming traffic and weaving between vehicles.
Footage was captured by a police air wing helicopter which pursued the car.
Stop sticks were used to pop the tyres of the white ute but the driver kept going before the vehicle was dumped in Vermont.
Black is also accused of the theft of more than $1000 worth of security cameras from Chirnside Park Bunnings, robberies from cages in the carpark of the Arvani Hotel in Box Hill and the theft of three electric scooters from Aldi as well as the theft of a trombone, a saxophone, a green purse, a toolbox and sunglasses.
Magistrate Jason Ong refused bail citing that there were no bail conditions that could be imposed that would mitigate the risk posed by Black
“You remain an unacceptable risk for bail,” he said.
“There is ongoing serious offending.”
Black will remain in custody until his next court appearance on February 26
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