news, crime

A Canberra man who was seen defecating in a Banks car park before allegedly threatening to bash a litter patrol ranger with a baseball bat has been refused bail. The 19-year-old appeared before ACT Magistrates Court on Saturday charged with reckless threat to kill, affray and drug possession. A plea was not entered. Court documents allege the man, who the court heard lives in his car, was seen defecating on the ground of a public car park by a litter patrol driver just before 8am on Friday. The litter patrol officer told a nearby neighbour, whose house the man has parked out the front of for the past two years. The neighbour confronted him and during the conversation he allegedly picked up a baseball bat from his car and swung it several times, smashing his own driver's side window. Court documents show the man allegedly told the neighbour that "when the litter man comes around tomorrow morning, I'm going to beat his head in till he's dead and his brains are lying on the ground and his eyes are popped out". The neighbour then called police, who arrived at the scene just after 9am. Officers found two baseball bats inside the car, which the man said were for his own protection. They also allegedly found 22 grams of cannabis. The man told police he "smokes weed, nothing else" according to court documents. The court heard that while he allegedly threatened the litter patrol officer, he did not intend to carry out the threat. Bail was applied for but refused by Magistrate Robert Cook due to the man having no fixed address. "There is no place for the defendant to go or way of contact," Magistrate Cook told the court. "He is a risk to the community until the matter is resolved, who might do harm to himself and others." The man will remain in custody until the matter returns to court on August 20.

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