Man in court over public threats, robberies

A man who allegedly threatened the public on three separate occasions has appeared in court, with a police prosecutor labelling him a “serious risk to the community”.

The man appeared in the Rockingham Magistrate’s Court on Monday, February 4, via video link from Hakea Prison to face four charges.

He is charged with armed robbery, being armed or pretending to be armed in a way that may cause fear, threatening to injure, endanger or harm any person and two counts of stealing.

The court heard the man was on a Mandurah-bound train when he approached a stranger and started making racist remarks, pulling a gold chain off the victim’s neck.

The court was also told of another incident where the man was at the Wellard station with another person when $20 cash was swallowed up by the ticket machine. He became frustrated and told two transit officers what had happened.

When they advised him to contact Transperth, he allegedly became aggravated and swore at them, and allegedly said that he would “stab” them, “find out where they lived” and “follow them home”.

He also allegedly told them he “didn’t care” if he went back to jail while threatening them.

The man was also allegedly involved in another incident in Coles in the Warnbro Centre.

The court was told the man’s partner was being spoken to by two male security guards about a stealing incident, when he walked up to them and allegedly threatened them with what appeared to be a screwdriver and then ripped a gold chain off the neck of one of the guards.

During the bail application hearing, the police prosecutor said the man was a “serious risk to the community” and that “nothing could be put in place … to stop his violent behaviour”.

He will appear in court again in April.