Unless "they're living in Antarctica", there are no excuses for police officers not to have quickly completed their statements against a woman allegedly involved in a drug debt-related gang bashing, a magistrate has said as she blasted police for delaying court proceedings.
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Special magistrate Margaret Hunter in the ACT Magistrates Court on Wednesday also warned the charges would be dismissed if evidence remained outstanding during the next court session.
Ms Hunter's criticism was made during the case against Natalie Marie Hyde, 43, who pleaded not guilty to a number of charges, including joint commission aggravated robbery, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and possessing a prohibited substance.
The prosecution alleges that in the early hours of June 9, Hyde and two men, yet to be identified, arrived at an ACT government-provided house in Conder where the complainant was with co-defendants Haylie Sibley, 38, and Jack Sims, 30.
Hyde, who the court previously heard had prior convictions, hit the complainant a number of times on the back of the head, causing it to split open and bleed.
She then filled a drinking glass with a "clear, water-like, thick substance" and forced the complainant, who believed it was the drug GHB, to drink it.
The alleged facts state that the complainant then "overheard one of the males talking about killing him and that they would have no choice".
Fearing for his life, he asked and was allowed to use the bathroom where he escaped through a window before calling police.
A few days later, officers executed a search warrant at a Gordon residence and found Hyde, methylamphetamine and an iPhone she used at the time.
A forensic review of the phone showed Google searches related to removing evidence, including "does wiping a gun with a cloth really eliminate fingerprints or is this strictly a Hollywood fantasy?".
Prior to Hyde's involvement, Sibley and the complainant arranged to meet at the Conder premises.
There, Sims allegedly demanded the complainant hand over money owed to Hyde.
Alleged facts state Sims swung a wrench at the complainant's head, narrowly missing it, before ordering him inside the residence.
He then punched the complainant a number of times while Sibley took the complainant's mobile phone to access his banking applications and MyGov account.
In the latest court session, prosecutor Tahlia Drumgold applied for the matter to be adjourned to October 31 because "there is some outstanding material of the brief [of evidence]", which would be served on the defendant.
Special magistrate Margaret Hunter said it was an "extensive adjournment" with the latest bid being the third since the matter was pleaded to in June.
"I'm not minded to do that, I'm minded to set it down for a committal," Ms Hunter said.
She said the matter should be dealt with as expeditiously as possible.
Ms Drumgold said if the matter were to be committed on Wednesday, "the defendant would not know the full extent of the case against her, noting that the material outstanding is crucial to the case".
The court heard the material included police officers' statements, to which Ms Hunter said there should not be excuses in relation to their completion unless "they're [officers] living in Antarctica".
"How are we going to rely on them being accurate if they're not done in a timely matter?" she said.
Ms Hunter said "it's just absolutely ..." before saying the informant in the case may be doing his best, but the officers giving statements were "recalcitrant" and "they should be the ones coming to court".
She eventually agreed with adjourning the case to October 31 and said if the case were before her again on the next occasion with material still outstanding, then she would "dismiss all of the charges and restart again".
Ms Hunter told Ms Drumgold "you've been trying your best".
"But if the police knows that's what's going to happen, it might give them some impetus to get their material together," the special magistrate said.
Ms Drumgold said she was "more than happy to act as a messenger" and that she understood the informant had tried to contact the officers.
Hyde's co-defendants, who face similar charges, also had their cases briefly mentioned in court on Wednesday.
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