A woman is accused of trying to firebomb a man's car while she was already on bail for allegedly kidnapping and jointly sexually assault a different man at Port Kembla.
Despite the fresh claims, Jasmine Agostini, 22, was again released on bail at Wollongong Local Court on Tuesday, October 10, after her lawyer branded the police case against her "completely weak".
According to a police account of events, a former housemate of Agostini's was woken early on the morning of Saturday, September 23 by the sound of glass smashing and his car alarm activating outside his Warrawong home.
The man has told police he looked outside and saw Agostini standing at the back of his Holden Commodore, with another female on the roadway nearby. He says he saw the duo run southward towards Northcliffe Drive and noticed something on fire beside the car.
On closer inspection, the man saw a small glass jar on fire on the grass beside his car. There were two big holes in the back windscreen of his car and broken glass everywhere, according to police.
Police arrested Agostini at St Marys Police Station on September 27, after she reported to police in line with her pre-existing bail conditions.
She is now charged with damaging property by fire/explosive, and possessing an explosive with the intention of damaging someone's property.
In court on Tuesday, Agostini's lawyer said the case against her was "completely weak", noting a police account of events did not say whether law enforcement had seized the glass jar at the centre of the fire, or whether it was being sent for analysis.
He said Agostini had continued reporting to police in line with her bail conditions. She was a young Aboriginal woman who had not served a jail sentence before, he noted, adding the early hour would have made it difficult for the Warrawong man to identify her.
The prosecution opposed Agostini's release, noting the alleged crimes occurred in daylight and citing the risk of further serious offending and a "strong" prosecution case built around the evidence of an eyewitness.
"The defendant is on what I would call extremely strict bail conditions ... she's also out committing what I would submit are extremely serious offences," the prosecution said.
Magistrate Girotto loosened Agostini's bail conditions in May after her lawyer argued the terms - a 24-hour curfew, with daily reporting to poilce - were "draconian".
It was a condition of her earlier release that she live at a Western Sydney address with her sister.
Agostini is due to face trial next year over allegations she and two male co-accused kidnapped and robbed a man before assaulting him at a Port Kembla unit between the evening of September 2, 2022 and the early hours of the next morning.
Agostini has pleaded not guilty to charges stemming from those events, including charges of aggravated sexual assault in company while depriving someone of their liberty and kidnapping in company with intent to commit a serious indictable offence while occasioning actual bodily harm.
In court on Tuesday, Magistrate Girotto granted bail under stricter terms, which state Agostini must report to police daily and otherwise not leave her address unless in the company of her sister.
The matter returns to court next month.
Read the latest Illawarra court and crime stories here.
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Angela Thompson
Proudly Illawarra Mercury since 2008; these days covering crime and justice issues. UOW alum. Thrilled by the chase and sobered by some of the things I see and hear when I stand still - sometimes in the same day. ang.thompson@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Proudly Illawarra Mercury since 2008; these days covering crime and justice issues. UOW alum. Thrilled by the chase and sobered by some of the things I see and hear when I stand still - sometimes in the same day. ang.thompson@austcommunitymedia.com.au
