Death threat claims

Man allegedly told neighbour: ‘I’ll cut you up into pieces’

A CURLEWIS man who allegedly threatened to kill his neighbour has been denied bail.

The Geelong Magistrates’ Court yesterday heard Jake O’Brien was affected by alcohol when he launched into a heated verbal argument with his brother in the back yard of their sister’s home.

When the neighbour asked Mr O’Brien to stop swearing over a fence on Saturday night it is alleged he said: “I’ll come over and cut you up into pieces”.

Through his lawyer Stephanie Mawby, Mr O’Brien denied making the threat.

“He has indicated he will plead not guilty to making threats to kill,” Ms Mawby said.

“He disputes (the neighbour’s account of) the wording over the fence and the particular sequence of threats.”

The court was told Mr O’Brien flew into a fit of expletives when he thought his brother had dobbed him in to his sister for drinking.

The court heard Mr O’Brien was on bail when the argument broke out, and that his sister did not want him to drink alcohol as a condition of staying at her home.

The court heard Mr O’Brien’s sister told police she no longer wanted her brother living at her home.

But yesterday she had reconsidered and wanted her brother, who has a history of alcohol and drug abuse, to live at her Curlewis home with her partner, young son and other family members.

“We want to help him. He is able to come back to our house while we find a more permanent option for him,” she told the court.

Ms Mawby told the court her client had not threatened the neighbour before and proposed he be bailed to his sister’s Curlewis home.

She told the court refraining from alcohol was not a condition of her client’s previous bail.

But police prosecutor Alex Good said Mr O’Brien was an unacceptable risk of committing further offences if bailed.

“Just simply adding a condi- tion not to consume alcohol does not reduce the potential endangering the public,” Senior Constable Good said.

Magistrate John Lesser agreed, denying bail.

“I can’t be satisfied with him living behind the alleged victim in these matters. It’s simply not appropriate,” Mr Lesser said.

The court heard Mr O’Brien had spent a stint in recovery at Odyssey House and has previously experienced drug addiction.

Mr O’Brien is expected to face court again on January 21.