A woman was allegedly followed by a man with a chainsaw. Photo: Albert McKnight.
A businessman accused of following a woman down a street with a chainsaw has been refused bail in the Canberra courts.
Court documents show that earlier in July, the pair began to argue, which escalated with the businessman allegedly punching her in the head, then knocking her to the ground outside his workplace in Fyshwick as she tried to leave.
He also allegedly poured radiator coolant over her while she was on the ground.
Police allege the man then picked her up and began hitting her in the face again, but she managed to move away from him and picked up a vacuum cleaner pole before walking towards other buildings on the street.
However, the man allegedly grabbed a chainsaw, which he later told police he had been using to cut up wood, turned it on, then followed her saying: “Come on [her name].”
They exchanged words, then a little later, police allege he walked close to her, pointed the tip of the chainsaw towards her body and turned it on “as if to cut her with it”.
In response, she hit the chainsaw with the vacuum cleaner pole.
The man allegedly dropped the chainsaw to the ground and yelled at the woman to get away from him while also threatening to kill her.
Police allege he then grabbed her by the back of the neck, forced her to the ground then punched her in the head three times.
“You’re gonna die, b-tch, you’re gonna die,” he allegedly told her as she screamed for help.
After the man applied for bail in the ACT Magistrates Court on Tuesday (27 July), his Legal Aid lawyer Mr Chen described his client’s alleged behaviour, seen in closed-circuit television footage screened to the court, as an “uncharacteristic aberration”.
He said his client worked long days at his business in Fyshwick so could not easily leave the location and would not “abandon his treasured business”.
A proposed condition for bail was that he not even be allowed to leave the suburb.
But after opposing bail, the prosecutor, Ms Sheridan, described the case as extremely strong, adding there was a risk to the woman’s safety if he was released.
She said the alleged pouring of radiator fluid over the woman while she was on the ground was a “very dangerous act”.
Special Magistrate Jane Campbell said the alleged use of the chainsaw was intimidating behaviour and “no doubt the victim is very fearful”.
Magistrate Campbell said there was a risk the man may harass the woman if released, even though she noted he had said he wanted no further contact with her.
She refused bail and adjourned the case to August.
The man is yet to enter pleas to charges of assault, possessing an offensive weapon and making a reckless threat to kill another person.
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