Offender’s bail bid veto

A MAN arrested after a police chase on the outskirts of Townsville also allegedly tried to steal a dog from an Ayr woman while armed with a metal bar, a court has heard.

Travis Malayta, 18, was refused bail yesterday when he briefly appeared in the Townsville Magistrates Court, where he is facing a string of serious charges.

His defence has indicated he will contest the charges.

Malayta was arrested on Thursday for two incidents at an Ayr property on August 12 and 15, after the car he was travelling in was spiked by police following a pursuit on the Flinders Highway.

Police will allege the 18year-old was one of four who entered an Ayr property on Thursday before they fled in a car and were chased by officers along the highway south of Townsville.

Police prosecutor Kellie Mythen said the man had also been charged with armed robbery after trying to steal a dog from an Ayr woman while armed with a metal pole.

“She’s sustained some injuries as a result of that and she was assaulted during that process,” she said.

Ms Mythen said Malayta later attended the same property armed with a metal pole, alongside others including his father, which was a “concerning aspect”.

The court heard the victim and Malayta were known to each other and there was an “ongoing feud”.

“The defendant has hit one of the victims on the hip with the pole and he’s also used the pole to smash the windows of the witnesses’ ute at the property,” she said.

Ms Mythen said his co-offenders had also allegedly assaulted the people at the property damage.

She said at the time of the police chase, the defendant was not the driver of that vehicle, but “was certainly in the car at the time”.

Defence lawyer Margaret Crowther pushed for bail as her client was young and not in a show cause position.

But Ms Mythen argued he was an unacceptable risk of reoffending and a risk to the public, and said he had no regard for court as he was on a and also caused Probation Order issued on July 8.

“It’s concerning that the defendant reoffended in such a short amount of time and further concerning the fact that there’s seven charges including attempted robbery,” she said.

“Not only protection needs to be afforded to the victims, but the community as a whole,” she said.

Malayta was refused bail and will stay behind bars. The matter will get a committal mention on September 30. that was