LABELLING the court system “corrupt”, a Mount Gambier man was not happy he would be going back behind bars less than 24 hours after he was released from prison.
Ricky McQuillan, 46, appeared in police custody in the Mount Gambier Magistrates Court to make an application for bail after being arrested for stealing alcohol from a local bottle shop yesterday.
The prosecution said the defendant entered a bottle shop at around 4.50pm where a witness saw him looking at the spirits section.
McQuillan approached the counter and asked to withdraw $15 from his bank account.
The transaction was processed and the defendant left the store, however security alarms were activated.
An employee identified the man taking two bottles of spirits on security camera footage and alerted police.
McQuillan was arrested and told police he was at the shop to buy a gift, however saw the cashier was busy and left without paying for the bottles.
The defendant’s lawyer said his client assumed the bottles were deducted from his bank card.
When he noticed they were not on the receipt, he panicked and placed the bottles under a tree.
With the parole board issuing a warrant for McQuillan’s arrest yesterday, Magistrate Anderson found no good reason to grant bail.
“The prosecution has an extremely strong case and you have an ongoing history of dishonesty,” Magistrate Anderson said.
“I deny bail for the following reasons – seriousness of the offence and the risk of reoffending.”
Having only been released from custody yesterday, McQuillan expressed his disagreement with the court process, yelling expletives in open court about how it was not fair that he would be going back into custody for a crime he did not commit.
The defendant was remanded in custody.
