A HOMELESS man has been remanded in custody charged with an unprovoked assault in Warrnambool.
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Lachlan Dewar, 34, of no fixed address, unsuccessfully applied for bail in the Warrnambool Magistrates Court and was remanded in custody until July 3.
Police said that Mr Dewar appeared in court last week where he pleaded guilty to offences including a shop theft in Camperdown and urinating in public at Bendigo.
He persisted with a bail application on Monday despite being told it would be unlikely he would be released from custody if he had nowhere to live.
Senior Constable Sue Forster said that police received a report of an attempted theft from the Target store in Warrnambool on Monday morning just before 11am.
She said staff alleged Mr Dewar was wearing clothes he had not paid for and he had left his old clothes in a changeroom.
Store staff previously caught Mr Dewar stealing small items and he had been warned to not enter the outlet.
Last Friday police alleged that a man was walking along Warrnambool's Cramer Street when Mr Dewar crossed from the other side of the road and attacked the victim, kicking him to the chest and head.
A Country Fire Authority officer witnessed the assault.
Mr Dewar has a long criminal history.
Senior Constable Forster said she called Mr Dewar's parents to see if they would provide medication but they did not want him living at their home.
His father told her Mr Dewar smoked synthetic cannabis and could get violent.
The magistrate refused bail saying she was concerned Mr Dewar was suffering mental health issues and that he was an unacceptable risk of continuing to offend and failing to appear at court.