A TEENAGER is free on bail despite being charged with trafficking cannabis and ice and three armed robberies.
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Lachlan Mitchell, 18, of Warrnambool, was granted bail in the city’s magistrates court yesterday until November 10.
Mr Mitchell was ordered to live with his mother at Cavendish, obey an overnight curfew and report to Hamilton police three times a week.
Magistrate John Lesser told Mr Mitchell that he only “very reluctantly” decided to grant bail and if he reoffended he would be straight back into custody.
Detective Senior Constable Bruce Sharp told the court Mr Mitchell came under the notice of Geelong police after he was involved in three armed robberies on Geelong convenience stores.
Forensic evidence, security camera footage and telephone records linked Mr Mitchell to the robberies.
It was also alleged a car involved in the hold-ups had been stolen from Warrnambool’s Woodend Road.
Detective Senior Constable Sharp said telephone intercepts were put on a number of Mr Mitchell’s phones from late last year.
Those intercepts recorded discussions relating to the armed robberies and also evidence of trafficking both cannabis and ice (crystal methamphetamine).
Detective Senior Constable Sharp said Mr Mitchell sold 300 grams of cannabis and 4.3 grams of ice valued at multiple thousands of dollars.
He said there was also telephone discussions about a burglary and theft from a Warrnambool florist shop committed during February which netted $3844 in cash.
Yesterday, police executed a search warrant at Mr Mitchell’s home and found five deal bags believed to contain ice as well other zip-lock bags, scales, cash, tablets of ecstasy and Oxycontin, two mobile phones, a SIM card and documents relating to the manufacture of drugs.
Detective Senior Constable Sharp said that after arresting Mr Mitchell, one of the mobile phones rang almost constantly.
His next court date is on November 10 on charges of making a threat to kill, assault and breaching an intervention order relating to a former girlfriend.
The detective said officers also found five ammunition cartridges and when Mr Mitchell was previously stopped by police he had a knife with a 20cm blade in his pants.
Mr Mitchell said he had been undertaking drug counselling for the past six months and his mother Jeanette said she was prepared to look after her son in a house at Cavendish.
Mr Lesser said Mr Mitchell had a colourful history for a young man.
Youth justice worker Graeme Twaddle said Mr Mitchell had been attending appointments weekly and his substance abuse had not stopped him engaging with services as directed by a court.