Accused burglars ‘kept in’

TWO people accused of breaking into the Westridge Medical Centre and stealing cash have been remanded in custody.

Jamie Leigh Carn, 34, and Zoe Rae Simpson, 27, appeared separately before Toowoomba Magistrates Court after being taken into custody at the weekend.

Neither was required to enter any pleas to charges of entering premises and committing an indictable offence by break and obstructing police.

Both applied for bail, which police opposed.

Police prosecutor Senior Constable Julia Wheaton submitted the case against the couple was strong and they had been identified on the shopping centre’s CCTV camera footage walking into the centre on the Sunday afternoon in question.

And, when police attended their residence and activated a search warrant, clothing similar to that worn by the couple on the CCTV footage was found, she said.

Police claimed Simpson is depicted on the CCTV footage as acting as lookout while Carn is accused of committing the break.

Carn’s solicitor Brad Skuse said it did appear his client was on that footage but the question was what the footage was actually of and did it show his client committing any offence.

Mr Skuse said police claim the break-in was committed at 4.30pm when a number of other stores in the shopping centre were open and that there would have been people around.

The Medical Centre was closed at the time but an alarm had been triggered, the court heard.

Magistrate Catherine Pirie said she wanted to view the CCTV footage before further considering bail for either accused.

Ms Pirie adjourned the bail applications to 2.15pm Tuesday and remanded both accused in custody overnight.