Wayde Liam Marshall was allegedly armed with knife, ran around Toowoomba Grand Central Shopping Centre

In the wake of the Bondi mass stabbing tragedy, a Queensland magistrate said she could not understand why a Logan man would go to a major shopping centre allegedly armed with a knife to confront someone.

A Logan man has faced a court in Toowoomba for allegedly entering a major shopping centre armed with a knife. Picture: File

A regional Queensland magistrate has refused to grant a Logan man bail after he allegedly threatened a man with a knife during an organised fight at a busy Toowoomba shopping centre at the weekend.

Police allege Logan Reserve man Wayde Liam Marshall went to Grand Central Shopping Centre on Saturday, May 4, after he was allegedly “challenged to a fight” on Snapchat after adding a person known to his 18-year-old girlfriend.

During the 28-year-old’s bail application on Tuesday afternoon, May 7, the court was told Mr Marshall’s criminal history was 18 pages long, and he was on bail for allegedly assaulting an elderly man.

Grand Central shopping centre on corner of Victoria and Margaret streets in the Toowoomba CBD. Picture: Kevin Farmer

The court was told before Mr Marshall allegedly threatened the man with a knife during an argument, he had been arguing with a different group of people, including a 17-year-old boy, which was broken up by security guards.

It was then the alleged victim approached Mr Marshall and asked, “are you Wade?”.

He was arrested and charged with going armed to cause fear, possessing a knife in public, and threatening violence with a knife.

The court heard Mr Marshall was diagnosed with a litany of mental health conditions and was under the care of NDIS support workers 24/7, who had travelled with him to Toowoomba to visit his grandmother.

Mr Marshall’s solicitor Alysha Jacobsen said her client instructed that he added people he did not know on Snapchat in a bid to get them to stop bullying, and calling his girlfriend derogatory slurs.

However, she said he became agitated after being bombarded with messages, which included challenges to fight, abusive messages, and accusations that he was a pedophile.

Magistrate Clare Kelly said it was “inexplicable” as to why a man visiting his grandmother would take off to a shopping centre to confront “strangers” while armed with a knife, especially given the recent stabbings at a NSW shopping centre.

“I’m at a loss to understand,” she said.

A mentally ill Mr Marshall will spend at six days in custody before his matter is next before the courts.

Ms Jacobsen told the court Mr Marshall did not know about the Bondi Junction incident until she told him at the watch-house as he did not watch the news and was largely disconnected from current events, which his support workers confirmed.
When the charges were first mentioned before the Toowoomba Magistrates Court on May 6, magistrate Louise Shephard asked how Mr Marshall came to be “running around Grand Central with a knife” if he had full-time carers.

On Monday, acting duty lawyer Claire Graham said Mr Marshall and his careers were playing Xbox before he left the house closely followed by his grandmother, who failed to successfully retrieve him.

Ms Shephard ordered Mr Marshall to be taken to hospital for a mental health assessment so his mental health diagnoses could be confirmed, however the paperwork was not provided to the court in time for his bail application the following day.

A mentally ill Mr Marshall will spend at six days in custody before his matter is next before the courts.

Ms Jacobsen said the report could take about a month, and the case could not progress until all relevant mental health documents were provided given Mr Marshall’s rational and decision-making skills may have been affected at the time.

She noted Mr Marshall did not indicate he opposed the charges and wanted to proceed with the bail application despite the absence of the mental health report.

Ms Kelly said without the report, and given Mr Marshall’s lengthy and serious criminal history she could not be satisfied that he did not pose a risk to the communities’ safety.

The court heard Mr Marshall had an 18-page criminal history and was on bail at the time for an assault charge, which allegedly occurred against a person over the age of 60.

Mr Marshall was remanded in custody and the case will next be mentioned before the court on Friday, May 10.