Man fakes mum’s death in bold bid for 12th shot at bail

A PRISONER desperate for a taste of freedom has faked his own mother’s death in a last ditch bid for bail, police have alleged.

A PRISONER desperate for freedom lied to police that his mother had died in a bid to win sympathy — and bail for a twelfth time.

The 29-year-old African man had told officers his mother ­recently died overseas.

But inquiries ­revealed that claim to be a lie, the Victorian County Court heard on Tuesday.

The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has been held in custody for almost a year awaiting trial on charges relating to a week-long spree of armed robberies and assaults.

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A prisoner desperate for freedom lied to police that his mother had died in a bid to win sympathy — and bail for the twelfth time. Picture: File.

He is also under investigation over a separate stabbing.

The crimes were committed just months after he completed a long jail term for similar ­offending.

The man had been granted bail 11 times between 2005 and 2013, despite repeatedly breaching strict conditions.

He was charged five times for failing to answer bail and convicted on four separate ­occasions.

Refusing a twelfth bail stint, Judge Lisa Hannan said ­despite a 20-month delay between the man’s arrest and his expected trial date in March, the danger he posed if released was too great.

He was remanded in custody, having been committed for trial in relation to a crime spree that began in July last year when he allegedly ­attacked a man for his iPhone and wallet.

The next day he failed in an attempt to use one of the stolen cards to buy meat pies, cans of energy drink, cigarettes and mobile phone credit vouchers.

The card had been cancelled, the court heard.

Three days later, police ­allege, he bashed a man who refused to let him into an apartment building, threatening to shoot him and stealing cash from him.

The crime spree continued a day later with the man allegedly repeatedly punched a ­security guard in the face ­because he looked at him.

The man is facing charges including armed robbery, ­intentionally causing injury and deception.

The court heard that during a record of interview following his arrest, the man — who was captured on CCTV during much of the offending — made admissions to all charges.

But he is disputing the fact he was armed with a handgun during some of the offending.

A weapon covered in his DNA was found during a search by police 10 days before the crime