Cairns mum Kelly Aragu given bail: Allegedly pushed man off Nightcliff balcony in self defence

A young mother was given bail after spending five-nights in a NT Police watch house for allegedly pushing a man off her first-floor balcony as he threatened to attack her.

Queensland mum Kelly Aragu appeared before Darwin Local Court on Monday charged with recklessly endangering serious harm, aggravated assault and deprivation of liberty. Picture: Zizi Averill generic

A young mother has been given bail after spending five-nights in a NT Police watch house for allegedly pushing a man off her first-floor balcony after he threatened to attack her.

Wiping tears from her eyes, 22-year-old Queensland mum Kelly Aragu appeared before Darwin Local Court on Monday charged with recklessly endangering serious harm, aggravated assault and deprivation of liberty.

Ms Aragu has been in the Palmerston Watch House since Thursday, in conditions the local court has repeatedly heard were “appalling” with multiple people to a cell with no privacy, limited access to hygiene facilities and where the lights are kept on 24/7.

It was alleged the 22-year-old young mother pushed a man off the balcony railings of a Nightcliff home last Wednesday afternoon, causing him to fall up to four metres to the ground. 

NT Police said multiple people called triple-0 the next morning after discovering the trail of blood leading from the home to a bus stop on Progress Drive.

The man took himself to Royal Darwin Hospital for his leg injury, with Ms Aragu arrested the following day and charged with serious domestic violence related offending.

A Northern Territory police officer in Alice Springs. Picture: Gera Kazakov NTPOL NTPFES generic NT police

However Darwin Local Court heard that the young woman was likely the victim of police misidentification, only pushing the man off the balcony as he attempted to break into the home and assault her.

Her lawyer Corrin Demeo said the charges against Ms Aragu were completely contested, arguing her conduct was in self defence against her abuser.

Ms Demeo told Judge Alan Woodcock that the Queensland woman had been visiting Darwin for the past four months when she “struck up a relationship” with the alleged victim.

She presented a witness statement as well as photos of the young mother’s own injuries, which Mr Woodcock said painted the incident “in a different light”.

Ms Aragu tried to apply for bail on Friday, but the courts ran out of time to properly hear her bail application and she had to spend the weekend in the Palmerston watch house.

On Friday the courts heard she was “extremely distressed” to be away from her two-year-old daughter for the first time.

As soon as her little girl saw her mother behind the glass security screens she started to wail, calling out “I want to see mummy”.

The 22-year-old started crying at the sight of her toddler’s tears and the little girl’s attempts to reach out to her mother from across the court.

The prosecutor said the presumption of bail was against her, telling the court there was CCTV of the alleged offending, photos of his injuries, and the blood on the ground as he limped away.

“The presumption — as high as it is — is overcome. I grant her bail,” Mr Woodcock said.

Her matter was adjourned to September 29, and she was bailed to return home to Cairns.

Originally published as Cairns mum Kelly Aragu given bail: Allegedly pushed man off Nightcliff balcony in self defence