A CENTRAL Victorian man who allegedly threatened to kill his sister multiple times has been denied bail.
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The man appeared in the Bendigo Magistrates' Court on Tuesday. He had been charged with 22 offences, including stalking, making threats to kill, contravening bail conditions, and breaching a family violence intervention order.
The court heard about 1.30pm on September 27 this year, the victim received a message from an Instagram account purporting to be a friend of the accused.
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Police allege the message was threatening and included the lines, "I will kill you with my bare hands" and "I will look into your lifeless eyes as you suffer".
Officers contacted the supposed account holder who stated to police they had no involvement with the Instagram account.
It is alleged the Instagram account was connected to the accused's mobile phone.
The court heard then about 7.15pm on October 6 this year, the accused called his niece who passed the phone on to her mother.
It is alleged the man told his sister he would "take the life and air out of [her] throat".
The man was on bail at the time of the alleged offending, with a condition that he did not contact his sister or niece.
The woman notified police about the phone call. Call records show that 12 calls were made from the accused's phone to his niece between September 26 and October 7 this year.
The court heard then on October 10, 2020, the accused called his sister with his caller ID blocked.
It is alleged he told the woman he was "going to make her pay by taking her last breath".
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The woman also allegedly received more threatening messages from the Instagram account. The messages called the victim a fraud, said she was mentally ill, and encouraged the victim to kill herself.
An interim family violence intervention order was granted at the Melbourne Magistrates' Court on October 12 this year, where the man's sister and niece were listed as protected persons.
The court heard then about 12.35am on October 13 this year, the accused again called his niece who put the phone on speaker so her mother could hear.
It is alleged the man told his sister she was going to die.
At 8.25pm that same day, police served the interim family violence intervention order to the man.
Police allege the accused persistently contravened the family violence intervention order by calling his niece 68 times between October 13 and 19 this year.
It is alleged the man also met his niece at a Melbourne train station on October 20 this year.
Police searched the man's property on October 22 and seized a Samsung mobile phone, four laptops, a desktop computer, and a small amount of cannabis.
The man was arrested and questioned by police. He admitted to contacting his niece in contravention of his bail conditions and family violence intervention order.
Acting informant Detective Senior Constable Jack Ashman told the court the accused would be an unacceptable risk of re-offending.
Detective Senior Constable Ashman also said police were concerned the man owned firearms, after videos of shooting in the bush were found on his phone.
The officer said the accused's sister was also "extremely worried for her life" and pleaded that the accused wouldn't be released on bail.
Detective Senior Constable Ashman said he did not believe strict bail conditions would mitigate the risk.
Defence lawyer Robert Southgate said the man had already served 26 days in pre-sentence detention and that bail, with conditions like a curfew, would be appropriate.
But Magistrate Allan Spillane refused the application, saying he was not convinced the accused met the exceptional circumstances requirement.
"There appears to be a real and unjustifiable risk that he will commit further offences," Mr Spillane said.
The man was remanded in custody. He is due to return to the Bendigo Magistrates' Court next month.
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