A magistrate has refused bail to a man accused of stabbing another man in Bendigo at the weekend.
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Long Gully resident Jonathan Peterson appeared in Bendigo Magistrates’ Court on Monday, charged with attempted armed robbery and intentionally causing serious injury in relation to Saturday night’s incident.
Detective Acting Sergeant Andrew Heazlewood told the court Mr Peterson left his home on Saturday night when his partner asked him to get cigarettes.
A man was walking along a path near Eaglehawk Road playing Pokemon Go on his phone when he allegedly came across Mr Peterson, who was waiting about one metre off the path, about 11.30pm.
The two men were not known to one another, the court heard.
Mr Peterson allegedly made requests for a cigarette and $5, before pulling out a small knife and saying, “Give us what you’ve got”.
It is alleged the victim asked if Mr Peterson was serious, to which Mr Peterson responded by punching and stabbing him to the face and chest.
The victim ran to a service station for assistance, Detective Acting Sergeant Heazlewood said, bleeding significantly. Paramedics assessed the victim’s injuries as potentially life-threatening.
Mr Peterson is alleged to have left the scene towards his home, discarding the knife in a park.
About 11.40pm a witness spoke to Mr Peterson, who allegedly said, “Everyone thinks I’m drug-crazed. I just had to stab someone for a cigarette. Look what you made me do (his partner’s name)”.
The court heard a police dog tracked scent from the scene of the assault to the vicinity of Mr Peterson’s home.
Detective Acting Sergeant Heazlewood said police searched the home on Sunday and found blood on a door handle and a pair of Mr Peterson’s shoes. A knife was found in the park near his home.
He said Mr Peterson told police he walked along the path where the assault occurred, but did not interact with anyone.
The court heard he also told police the blood in the house was his, from smashing a car window, and he had not seen the knife.
He declined to participate in an identification line-up.
Detective Acting Sergeant Heazlewood said the victim did not pick Mr Peterson from a photoboard, but the witness did identify Mr Peterson.
Police opposed Mr Peterson’s application for bail, arguing he posed an unacceptable risk.
Mr Peterson told the court he had been staying away from trouble and had controlled his anger issues.
He said he kept his word, had a supportive partner, and did not want to become institutionalised.
But magistrate Megan Aumair stressed the seriousness of the alleged offending, and found there were no compelling reasons to grant Mr Peterson bail.
She also considered he would be an unacceptable risk were he released.
Mr Peterson was remanded in custody to appear in Bendigo Magistrates’ Court on March 20.
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