Man accused of robbery in custody

23-y-o declines to apply for bail

A 23-YEAR-OLD man accused of robbing a Chinchilla service station at gunpoint has been remanded in custody.

Roma man Owen John Howlett was arrested by police in Toowoomba on Tuesday.

He was not brought up from the watch house when his matters were mentioned before Toowoomba Magistrates Court and his solicitor Michael McElhinney told the court that his client would not be making an application for bail at this stage.

The court heard Howlett was on a return to prison warrant.

Police accuse the 23-yearold of entering a Caltex Star Mart about 9.30pm on Tuesday, March 12, armed with a sil- ver handgun.

It is further alleged he demanded cash before fleeing the store with a sum of money.

He has not as yet been required to enter any pleas to charges which include robbery with actual violence while armed, entering a premises with intent, failing to properly dispose of a needle and syringe, and possessing a dangerous drug.

Mr McElhinney said a full police brief of evidence would be required and sought an eight-week adjournment for that to be compiled.

There being no application for bail, Magistrate Vivianna Keegan remanded Howlett in custody and adjourned all charges for committal mention back in the same court on May 15 with the accused’s appearance in court excused at that mention.