UPDATE, May 6, 2024:
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
A Warrnambool man already on bail charged with terrorising a vulnerable 88-year-old widow has appeared in court charged with new allegations.
Nicholas Powell, 21, was charged last week with trespass and attempted aggravated burglary.
He appeared in Warrnambool Magistrates Court on May 6, 2024.
Police previously charged the man with going to a widow's Warrnambool home three times during November, the last time at 9.15am when there was an alleged physical confrontation and he allegedly robbed the elderly victim while she watched morning TV.
Police crime scene officers found the accused man's right index fingerprint inside the home, which led to his arrest.
Mr Powell was then released on Supreme Court bail and was awaiting a deferred sentence on some of the offences.
But on Friday the court heard he was back in custody charged with the new alleged offending.
That included Mr Powell allegedly rushing into an unknown person's home on April 15 and making threats to kill the occupants.
He was asked to leave and he fled with a small quantity of cash and cigarettes.
Mr Powell was then allegedly caught on security camera footage trying to get into a home in Queens Road.
Lawyer Xavier Farrelly said his client couldn't sleep, wanted a cigarette and was looking for a lighter.
He said the attempted aggravated burglary charge would be contested.
Mr Farrelly urged magistrate Franz Holzer to sentence his client on the earlier offences.
But Mr Holzer and a police prosecutor agreed the matters should be kept together.
Mr Powell, who was refused bail on May 3, was remanded in custody until June 12.
On Thursday: A Warrnambool man already on bail charged with terrorising a vulnerable 88-year-old widow is now back in the Warrnambool police station cells.
Detective Senior Constable Wayne Ryan, of the Warrnambool police crime investigation unit, said the man was arrested and in custody by noon on Wednesday, May 1, 2024.
He said the man was expected to be interviewed in relation to allegations of trespass and an attempted aggravated burglary.
"He's awaiting an interview," he said.
If charged, the man will likely appear before a bail justice for a remand/bail hearing later today.
The man already has four briefs of evidence listed in the Warrnambool Magistrates Court tomorrow.
He was previously warned in February by a magistrate he would go back to jail if he breached his strict bail conditions again after fronting the Warrnambool Koori Court.
He was in custody for 24 days after breaching bail conditions set by the Supreme Court of Victoria in mid December last year.
Police previously charged the man with going to a widow's Warrnambool home three times during November, the last time at 9.15am when there was an alleged physical confrontation and he allegedly robbed the elderly victim while she watched morning TV.
Police crime scene officers found the accused man's right index fingerprint inside the home, which led to his arrest.
In February magistrate Franz Holzer warned the man he needed to follow the rules of his bail conditions if he wanted to stay out of jail.
Mr Holzer adjourned that case until Friday, May 3, and urged the accused man to ensure he continued to take his medication and accept the support on offer.
He and court elders also told the man he needed to understand the seriousness of his offending and the impacts it had on the elderly victim and her extended family.
Mr Holzer asked the man about the offending and why he did what he did.
"This will never happen again - I've never done anything serious like this before - it was just stupid," the accused man said.
He was told the victim was now extremely anxious and he was asked why he had entered her home.
"I just wanted to enter someone's house," he said.