A man told police he was on a cocktail of valium, painkillers and booze when he allegedly got into a woman's car and threatened her with a fake gun, a court has heard.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Magistrate Maria Doogan refused Mark Benjamin Schofield bail earlier today on a charge of attempted aggravated robbery.
The 37-year-old father-of-two allegedly got into the passenger seat of a woman's car outside the Griffith shops one evening last month brandishing a replica pistol.
Police allege he demanded money but got out of the car empty-handed.
The court heard passers-by intervened and chased the would-be-robber on foot from the shops to the Stuart Flats.
A police informant said the pursuers described the alleged offender as "not very fit" and suffering from some sort of injury.
But they caught up to him he allegedly again produced what appeared to be a firearm and said "just f*** off, all you guys just f*** off".
The informant told the court Schofield was allegedly identified from CCTV footage recorded in the area of the shops.
And the pursuers eventually spotted the alleged robber getting into a car and gave the police the registration number - which lined the vehicle to Schofield.
In a subsequent interview the Queanbeyan man told police he had been using valium, painkillers and alcohol around the time of the incident.
He also said he went to the Stuart Flats on the evening in question to buy drugs, but could not afford them.
The court heard Schofield was on bail for drink driving offences at the time of the incident.
The man's lawyer said his client was prepared to abide by even stricter bail conditions, and would report to Queanbeyan police daily if required.
But the prosecution opposed bail, arguing Schofield might reoffend to fund his drug use and had a history of ignoring court orders.
Schofield is due back in court later this month.
