Alleged armed robber’s emotional appeal from the dock fails to secure his freedom

An alleged armed robber has been denied bail despite an emotional appeal for his release delivered from the dock of the Darwin Local Court.

Karl Joshua Arnold will remain behind bars after failing to secure bail.

AN ALLEGED armed robber has been denied bail despite an emotional appeal for his release delivered from the dock of the Darwin Local Court.

Karl Joshua Arnold faced court on Friday charged with property damage, unlawful entry, drug-driving and aggravated robbery.

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His lawyer, Josh Bach, told the court the charges would be contested on the basis that his client’s brother-in-law and co-accused was “largely responsible for the trouble that’s occurred yesterday”.

Despite being represented, Arnold asked permission to address judge Elisabeth Armitage directly, saying he had previously “not been a good person” but had now changed his ways.

“My sister’s now heavily involved in drugs and ice and her partner, who this eventuated from, he’s 40 odd years old,” he said.

“He’s older than me, your honour, and he’s well and truly older than my sister and he’s dragged her down.”

Arnold said he had stopped using hard drugs, repaired a strained relationship with his mother and was getting his life back on track.

“I’ve never owned anything in my life, your honour, I now own two vehicles, they’re in my name, I’ve never had anything in my name ever in my life,” he said.

“I have not been allowed to step (sic) foot in my mother’s house since I was 14 years old, I have never, ever walked around with clean arms — I have clean arms, my mother welcomes me into her house.”

Arnold said he was only the driver in the alleged offending but Ms Armitage said there was evidence before the court to suggest “you were involved to a much greater extent than simply being a driver”.

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“You’ve been identified on the evidence before me as a person who went into a dwelling and was carrying a weapon and with that evidence and against your criminal history, I’m not persuaded that bail should be granted,” she said.

“If you have made the progress that you say you have then it’s important to deal with this matter, it is a setback but it is not necessarily a reason to give up — it’s a hurdle that you’re going to have to deal with.”

Arnold returns to court on July 29.