Former deputy chief minister’s son to consider taking the stand in bail bid on assault, drug charges

FORMER deputy chief minister Marion Scrymgour’s son will consider taking the stand to convince a judge he should be granted bail after facing court on assault and drug charges

Prosecutors appealed a decision to grant bail to Richard Maurice Scrymgour to the Supreme Court

FORMER deputy chief minister Marion Scrymgour’s son will consider taking the stand to convince a judge he should be granted bail after facing court on assault and drug charges.

Richard Maurice Scrymgour applied for bail in the Darwin Local Court last Thursday after being charged with aggravated assault, deprivation of liberty and drug possession and supply.

After that application was granted, prosecutors appealed the decision to the Supreme Court where his lawyer, Tom Clelland, told the court his client should be released into rehab to address his drug issues.

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Mr Clelland said Scrymgour would plead guilty to possessing 0.1g of methamphetamine but all the other charges would be contested, saying another 4.9g of the drug was found in a car that was being driven by someone else.

“The purpose of this bail is really to address what is an underlying issue and addiction,” he said.

“He is aware that he has had a number of chances but nonetheless the central purpose of this bail plan is for Mr Scrymgour to address his substance use.”

But Justice Peter Barr said there was no evidence before the court of the basis on which the assault charges would be defended and it was “the violence and the sexual jealousy that’s the thing that really most concerns me”.

“The facts that have been presented in the Crown case indicate that this is a man who is liable to violent sexually jealous-based behaviour — dreadful behaviour,” he said.

“I’ve heard nothing about whether there’s any likelihood that’s going to stop or not, sexual jealousy that leads to serious violence doesn’t just go away.”

Justice Barr said the onus was on Scrymgour to demonstrate his commitment to the rehab program and that he would not present a risk to the alleged assault victim if released.

“I just have nothing from your client as to his commitment to staying away from the complainant and committing himself to the program,” he said.

Mr Clelland said he would take instructions from his client as to whether he wished to testify when he was able to contact him in prison.

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Ms Scrymgour represented the electorate of Arafura in the NT parliament between 2001 and 2012 and is currently the chief executive of the Northern Land Council.

Richard Scrymgour will return to court on Thursday.