A Sydney man will remain behind bars over Christmas after his application for bail on a serious wounding charge was rejected.
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Preme Jaque, 25, is accused of joining friends in a vicious attack on a male in his Bellambi home last October over an alleged unpaid debt.
Police documents tendered during Jaque’s District Court bail application on Friday said he and two other males, along with a female, turned up at the man’s Department of Housing-owned property and let themselves in through the open back door.
They confronted the alleged victim about his unpaid bet to a man called ‘‘Josh’’, however the man said he didn’t know to whom they were referring.
It is alleged Jaque said ‘‘Josh is my mate’’ before another co-accused produced a claw hammer and told him he was ‘‘going to cop it now’’ and ‘‘get what you deserve’’.
A brief melee ensued, with Jaque allegedly grabbing a paring knife from the kitchen area, prompting the alleged victim to pick up a nearby steel bar to defend himself.
The man tried to run for the front door but was stopped by Jaque and his friend, who both began punching the man to the face.
Jaque’s co-accused then allegedly hit the man with the claw hammer, which became embedded in his left forearm.
The man managed to escape and took refuge in a neighbour’s house.
Police arrived a short time later but the attackers had fled.
The victim was taken to hospital and underwent surgery.
He later gave an interview to police, identifying three of the four people allegedly involved, including Jaque.
In court on Friday, defence lawyer Graeme Morrison said Jaque had the support of his family, including a mother who had moved from Barrack Heights to Kogarah in order to give her son somewhere to live away from the Illawarra if he was granted bail.
Jaque also had employment lined up as a boilermaker and would agree to report to police daily if released.
However, presiding judge Paul Conlon refused the bail application, noting the seriousness of the allegations, Jaque’s poor record for attending court and multiple convictions for breaching bail.
‘‘The offender has a history of violence on his record...there is an unacceptable risk of him not attending court,’’ Judge Conlon said.
‘‘In my view it’s not appropriate for bail to be granted.’’
Jaque will stand trial on a charge of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm next July.