An alleged motorcycle thief at the centre of a citizen's arrest at Woonona on Tuesday was already on bail accused of stealing two high-end mountain bikes from a property in East Corrimal two weeks earlier, a court has heard.
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Members of the public and an off-duty police officer captured and detained Nathan Hall on Park Road just before 5.30pm after he was seen aboard an orange Kawasaki KTM motorbike, one of two bikes worth $10,000 each that had been stolen from a home in Keiraville 12 hours earlier.
Police will allege a neighbour saw Hall and another man unload the bikes from a white van parked in Pindari Street before making off with them just before 5.30am.
The neighbour alerted the home owner before chasing the duo in his car but eventually lost sight of them.
Court documents said officers patrolling the streets of Woonona and Bulli throughout the day repeatedly saw Hall onboard the motorbike but were unable to catch him.
He was eventually apprehended at 5.30pm. Police said Hall received minor facial injuries during the arrest and he was taken to hospital for treatment before being returned to Wollongong Police Station and charged with larceny, entering a vehicle without consent and driving without a licence.
Hall, 19, made an application for bail in Wollongong Local Court on Wednesday, during which time it was revealed he was already on bail over an alleged break, enter and steal incident two weeks earlier.
Court documents said on that occasion, Hall allegedly broke into a garage in East Corrimal and stole a bag of Milwaukee power tools and two Scott-branded mountain bikes.
The combined value of the items was almost $12,000, police said.
Patrolling officers spotted Hall riding one of the stolen bikes in Bellambi less than three hours later and gave chase, with Hall eventually disappearing into a home on Hapgood Street.
He was subsequently arrested after officers found him hiding in the bathroom.
The stolen bike was discovered in the rear yard of the home, while the Milwaukee tools were found shoved down the back of a couch in the loungeroom.
Defence lawyer Emel Ozer said Hall would agree to be under house arrest should he be granted bail and would report to police as often as required.
However, Magistrate Robert Walker refused bail, noting Hall had a poor record of obeying bail and court conditions in the past.
The case was adjourned to November 9.
