A panel beater, who allegedly threw a baseball bat at his neighbour and broke his skull, is worried about how his dog will cope with him in jail, a court has heard.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Allan Barry Joseph Boyce, 37, was denied bail in the ACT Magistrates Court on Friday.
He faces a single charge of assault causing actual bodily harm after he was arrested earlier that morning.
Defence lawyer Ketinia McGowan told the court Boyce denied the accusation.
However, the man is yet to enter a plea.
Boyce is accused of throwing a baseball bat at his neighbour in Theodore during an altercation on Friday morning.
The defendant claims his dog was attacked by the alleged victim.
Police documents tendered to the court state when officers arrived at the scene, they saw blood splatter "on the entirety of the staircase" and along a footpath.
Officers claim they saw a large, open wound on the forehead of the alleged victim.
"It appeared that this male's skull had been broken and police could observe what appeared to be bone through the wound," police documents state.
READ ALSO:
The alleged victim told police that at about 2.20am, Boyce had thrown a green baseball bat at him, striking him in the forehead and causing the injury.
When officers spoke with Boyce, court documents state he provided multiple versions of events which did not align.
Firstly, he told police the baseball bat was silver, but in a triple zero call he said it was green.
Police claim Boyce originally said he had seen his neighbour arrive in a vehicle and he was already bleeding.
Later, Boyce allegedly told officers he didn't see his neighbour in the vehicle but first saw him bleeding when the man attacked his dog.
Ms McGowan argued her client should be released from custody on bail.
She told the court Boyce was concerned about his dog's welfare while he was remanded in custody.
"He has a dog that is very dear to him," Ms McGowan said.
The lawyer argued Boyce had been the person to call police that night in the belief his neighbour had attacked the dog
Ms McGowan said prior to this incident, her client had very little contact with the neighbour apart from saying "hi" when walking the dog.
Prosecutor Colin Balog argued against bail, stating Boyce's lengthy criminal history revealed "a demonstrated capacity for violence".
Special magistrate Sean Richter denied bail, saying he had "grave concerns" about the likelihood of Boyce appearing in court if released from custody.
Boyce is set to reappear in court on March 20.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Bookmark canberratimes.com.au
- Download our app
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram
