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A homeless Hamilton man, who snatched his three-month-old son and actively avoided police for eight hours, has been granted bail.
The man in his 20s, who cannot be named, because that would identify the victim, has been charged with 10 offences.
He successfully applied for bail in the Warrnambool Magistrates Court on Monday and was released with strict conditions to appear in court again on May 17 next year.
Those conditions include that he live in a Hamilton district town, surrender his passport, not leave Victoria, have no further contact with his former partner, her daughter or their three-month-old son or enter the city of Hamilton.
Magistrate Mark Stratmann said the man was on thin ice and if he further offended, it was unlikely he would be granted bail.
Previously a full intervention order banning any contact was put in place on January 15.
Last Friday the man threatened to go to New South Wales with the boy.
Police allege that when the woman returned to her unit, the man was waiting, there was a dispute and he threatened to rip the her head off her shoulders and punch her head into pulp.
At 8am on Saturday there was another verbal dispute after he wanted them to move to NSW.
Police allege the man punched the woman to the left side of her head, pushed her head into a brick wall and grabbed the boy.
He then actively avoided police before being arrested.
Police opposed bail saying the man was an unacceptable risk of fleeing the state and continuing his escalating offending.
Lawyer Jess Dean said her client had denied making any threats or physical assault and claimed his ex-partner gave him permission to take their son back to NSW.
She said the woman claimed he was a good father and would not hurt the baby.
But, the woman signed a sworn statement to police outlining her version of events and her worries that the baby had no nappies or milk formula.
The man has no prior court appearances and claims to be confused about the intervention order.
The magistrate said the charged were serious, the prosecution case was "pretty strong" and if the charges were proven, the man could expect to be imprisoned.
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