$25,000 surety expected to be forfeited

Luke Bennett, 27, of Chapel Street, St Kilda East, was yesterday granted bail in Warrnambool Magistrates Court until November 25 when he is listed to appear in a Portland court.

Mr Bennett was already on bail to appear in a Melbourne court on December 12 after being charged by Australian Federal Police with possessing 600 grams of pure cocaine.

Narre Warren teenager Nathan Clarke, 18, of Centre Road, was also released from custody yesterday after being found in the stolen Audi with Mr Bennett. Both were in a drug-affected state.

Eight days before that, Mr Clarke was released on bail in Melbourne after allegedly being involved in a shooting.

Constable Ash Rawlings, of the Southern Grampians police division response unit, told the court yesterday there was a firearms incident in Narre Warren on October 22 which resulted in a man being shot in the leg.

Mr Clarke was observed by Victoria Police air wing officers near where the incident happened and he was arrested along with two other men.

Constable Rawlings said Mr Clarke and Mr Bennett were then found in a grey Audi at Portland on Friday which had been stolen from Southern Golf Club in Braeside on July 26.

He said Mr Bennett told police he went for a day trip with two other men but he thought he was going back to Melbourne and could not explain how they finished up in Portland.

Constable Rawlings said that at 11.20am last Friday he and another police officer were undertaking duties in Portland’s Willunga Street when they saw the Audi drive down the wrong side of the street.

He said the driver of the car got out and locked the vehicle with the other two men inside. The driver has not been located.

Police officers approached the vehicle which did not have registration plates and saw the two men in a drug-induced state.

Constable Rawlings said Mr Bennett was in the back seat with his arms and legs flailing around but officers could not get his attention. An ambulance was called and the two men were taken to the Portland hospital where they spent four hours under observation.

They were later charged with theft of the car and using GHB (gammahydroxybutyrate). 

Mr Clarke’s new bail conditions include a $1000 surety, he has to live with his mother, report to Narre Warren police on Tuesdays, Thursday and Sundays, surrender his passport, not attend points of international departure, obey a 9pm to 5am curfew and obey the directions of youth justice staff and drug counsellors.

Mr Bennett has similar bail conditions but he has to report daily to St Kilda police station.