Corinthian Morgan, 37, of Shepparton, made a successful bail application in Shepparton Magistrates’ Court.
He is charged with armed robbery, robbery, possessing a firearm as a prohibited person, contravening bail and committing an indictable offence while on bail.
Shepparton police Senior Constable Jessica Stievano told the court Mr Morgan was at a Shepparton house with several other people on January 13.
Mr Morgan approached one of the other men and was talking to him about “that man” saying things about him to other people, Sen Constable Stievano said.
The court was told Mr Morgan then pulled a homemade gun made of pipe out of a backpack.
The gun, about 40cm in length, had a shotgun shell fitted in it, Sen Constable Stievano said.
Police allege that after a scuffle, Mr Morgan and his victim sat down and Mr Morgan put the gun on the table in front of him before asking for the victim’s phone and keys.
He and another man then left in the victim’s Holden Commodore.
The court heard the car was recovered by police two days later in Field St, Shepparton.
Mr Morgan was arrested in a nearby house and during a police interview he told police the person making the accusations was a ‘drug addict’, Sen Constable Stievano said.
The court was told when police searched Mr Morgan’s Shepparton house seven days after the incident, a cocked and loaded sawn-off shotgun was found.
Sen Constable Stievano said the shotgun and shells had been sent away for DNA analysis, with a report expected on them in August.
The officer also told the court there were several outstanding court matters Mr Morgan faced, including being found with a “large bulge in his pants” that turned out to be a wad of cash totalling $13,710.
He also has outstanding charges including for theft of car, drug possession, intentionally causing injury and recklessly causing injury.
Sen Constable Stievano opposed bail. saying Mr Morgan was an unacceptable risk of failing to appear and that police were concerned he was a serious risk of injuring or attempting to injure the victim.
Mr Morgan’s defence barrister Graeme Davis questioned the strength of the prosecution case, saying that while the victim said a gun was involved in the incident, another person at the house at the time did not mention the gun in his statement to police.
He also said a position was available for his client at a residential drug rehabilitation program.
Magistrate David Faram granted Mr Morgan bail, saying there were “some problems with the prosecution case in relation to the firearms offences, in particular the absence of supporting statements”.
He also said the drug rehabilitation position being available was “significant”.
Bail conditions included that Mr Morgan live at the drug rehabilitation centre in Melbourne, not use alcohol or drugs, not come to Shepparton and not contact witnesses or potential witnesses for the prosecution.
35°C