An Illawarra farm hand has been refused court bail amid allegations he held two men against their will inside an Albion Park Rail home before stabbing them both with a screwdriver.
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Police allege Wade Ponfield was high on ice when he carried out the bizarre detaining incident, which is said to have occurred on the evening of May 3 and left the two alleged victims sporting various wounds to their bodies.
Court documents said Ponfield, who suffers from mental health issues, left his home in alarming circumstances about midday, prompting his girlfriend to report him to police as a missing person.
Details of his movements over the next nine hours were not revealed in court, however it is alleged Ponfield approached a home on Tongarra Road just before 9.30pm and knocked loudly on the door five times.
The home owner and his mate were watching a movie inside the premises at the time and opened the door.
Ponfield allegedly barged inside and immediately kicked the home owner in the chest, causing him to fall to the ground.
Police will allege Ponfield told the two men to sit on the floor of the lounge room, before asking them if anyone else was home.
"No, no one," the pair said, allegedly prompting Ponfield to respond "don't lie".
Police will allege he then punched the two men in the face before picking up a crowbar from the hallway and a screwdriver from the kitchen bench.
The two men told police Ponfield began pacing around the house while smoking an ice pipe, before he allegedly hit the pair with the crowbar - one in the head and shoulder and the other in the legs.
Police claim Ponfield then used the screwdriver to stab one man in the thigh and the other in the leg.
The court heard Ponfield continued his paranoid behaviour, convinced someone else was in the house.
The two men allegedly told Ponfield "there could be someone in the rear shed". They then fled out the front door when Ponfield turned and headed towards the back door.
The pair ran to a neighbour's property and contacted police, who arrived 10 minutes later but Ponfield was nowhere to be seen.
Ponfield was arrested on Wednesday and charged with aggravated break and enter and detaining a person with intent, causing bodily harm.
He fronted Wollongong Local Court later that day where he was refused bail, despite saying he would abide by strict conditions if released.
"The behaviour and conduct alleged is threatening and violent," Magistrate Gabriel Fleming said.
"If the case is proven it's likely he'll serve a lengthy custodial sentence."
The matter will return to court at a later date.
Read more Illawarra Mercury stories here.
