Travis Johnston fronts court over alleged daylight attacks in Torquay

A man accused of stabbing a person on a Torquay street and attacking two others in a pharmacy has faced court, with his mother telling a magistrate she feared he would hurt other people if released.

Torquay man Travis Johnston, 44, has fronted court over a number of alleged armed assaults and a stabbing in the coastal town.

A man accused of stabbing a person on a Torquay street and attacking two others in a pharmacy has faced court, with his mother telling a magistrate she feared he would hurt other people if released.

Travis Johnston, 44, appeared in Geelong Magistrates Court via videolink on Wednesday, facing a litany of charges including reckless conduct endangering serious injury, unlawful assault, intentionally causing injury, assault with a weapon and affray.

The charges stem from an alleged rampage in Torquay on April 27 this year, during which Mr Johnston is accused of stabbing a man in broad daylight and allegedly attacking two other people, including a man holding a child in a chemist.

Mr Johnston’s mother told the court her son had been receiving treatment, which included injections, but had begun to refuse treatment and grown increasingly paranoid.

“He became a person that I didn’t know as my son,” she said.

“That’s when he decided to hurt people he thought were hurting him or spying on him.”

She said she feared “if he’s on the streets again, he will hurt people” because he was “special forces trained”.

Mr Johnston’s lawyer, Sarah Wood, told the court she “had some difficulty getting instructions” from her client.

She said she had attempted to contact and speak to her client using various methods, but been unable to receive adequate instructions and argued the court “can’t hear these matters without knowing his mental state”.

She told the court Mr Johnston had instructed he intended to plead guilty, but “that’s the extent of the instructions I could get from him”.

Ms Wood said the only other “firm instructions” she had received were to not discuss the case with Johnston’s mother and ex-wife, who both appeared in court.

The court heard Mr Johnston’s wife, from whom he is separated, submitted documents of her own volition providing context on his personal circumstances.

Magistrate Ronald Saines said he was “not prepared to accept” a plea of guilty given the limited information, and said the case required further investigation about Mr Johnston’s mental health and circumstances.

“It’s not so simple just to enter a plea of guilty and sentence you, there are a number of legal and medical issues that need to be looked at in your case,” Mr Saines told Mr Johnston.

Mr Johnston, who is currently in maximum security at Ravenhall prison, asked to be moved to a lower-security prison.

Mr Saines said he had no control over where the prison system placed Mr Johnston, but said there was “every chance” he could be moved.

“Having proper medical and mental health treatment is the best start,” he told Mr Johnston.

Mr Johnston will be assessed for mental health treatment in custody, with a report to be prepared for the court.

He will return to court on August 27.

Originally published as Travis Johnston fronts court over alleged daylight attacks in Torquay