Travis Johnston, 45, to face County Court over Torquay attacks

A former soldier accused of a series of daylight attacks in Torquay will face trial, as his lawyer flagged a mental impairment defence had been raised.

Torquay man Travis Johnston, 45, has been fronted court over a number of alleged armed assaults and a stabbing.

The lawyer for a veteran accused of a series of attacks in Torquay last year has told a court a mental impairment defence has been raised, as the matter moved closer to trial.

Travis Johnston, 45, appeared in Geelong Magistrates Court via videolink on Tuesday for a committal mention, facing charges stemming from an alleged series of incidents in Torquay on April 27 last year.

Mr Johnston is accused of stabbing a man on Zeally Bay Rd, causing a minor injury, and attacking two other people – including a man holding a child – in a chemist on Gilbert St.

The chemist incident was captured on CCTV.

A screenshot from CCTV footage depicting the alleged pharmacy attack.

The footage depicts a man, alleged to be Mr Johnston, holding a large knife in his right hand as he kicks Marty Cooper, who was holding his 19-month-old son Forrest at the time.

Following the incidents, Mr Johnston was charged with offences including reckless conduct endangering serious injury, unlawful assault, intentionally causing injury, assault with a weapon and affray.

On Tuesday Emma Oliver, for Mr Johnston, said the matter would be uplifted to the County Court on a straight handup brief, meaning without a contested committal hearing.

A handup brief is a brief of evidence served by the prosecution on the defence, containing all the evidence that is to be relied on.

The court heard Mr Johnston intended to plead not guilty to the charges, and an assessment had been made by a psychologist as a mental impairment defence had been raised.

Travis Johnston (right) confronts Marty Cooper and son, Forrest, with a knife in a Torquay pharmacy.

She said the prosecution had yet to engage with Forensicare, the state’s provider of forensic mental health care, to complete an assessment of Mr Johnston.

Further information regarding what the assessment concluded was not aired during the brief hearing.

Before confirming a date in the County Court, magistrate Gerard Bryant confirmed mental impairment had been raised, but not Mr Johnston’s fitness to be tried.

Ms Oliver said that was correct.

Mr Johnston’s bail, which includes a number of conditions including an exclusion from entering “the township of Torquay”, was extended.

He will next appear in the County Court on April 23 for a directions hearing.

Originally published as Travis Johnston, 45, to face County Court over Torquay attacks