Man with 'horrifying history' now accused of rape, false imprisonment

The 41-year-old man made a successful bail application in Warrnambool Magistrates Court on April 8, 2024.

The court heard the man, who cannot legally be named, was charged with the alleged rape of his cousin on a train in October 2023. He has denied the allegations.

Then on February 21, 2021, residents allegedly rushed to the aid of another woman who jumped from a moving car after being falsely imprisoned by the man in Warrnambool's central business district.

Police allege the woman was dragged into a white Holden utility by the man, who is known to her, and his associate who was driving the car.

A witness later allegedly observed the woman trying to climb out of a window of the moving ute.

As the car slowed at the Henna and Lava streets roundabout, the woman was able to break free and allegedly opened the door before throwing herself onto the road as the car kept driving.

Members of the public witnessed the incident and ran to her aid.

The woman suffered general soreness but no serious injuries.

The driver returned a short time later to assist police, who were called to the scene, with the alleged offender leaving on foot.

Officers later attended the alleged victim's home and the man was found hiding under a blanket and arrested.

Lawyer Kieran Burke said the false imprisonment charge would be strongly contested and the police case in relation to that offence was not strong.

He said his client had served 47 days in pre-sentence detention and if the more serious charge was dropped, the man faced serving longer on remand than he would ultimately be sentenced to.

Magistrate Gerard Lethbridge said while the man had a "horrifying history of violence", the charges were not yet proven.

He said he believed the man could safely be released back into the community with strong supervision and strict bail conditions.

Those conditions include an overnight curfew, that he obey a family violence intervention order and take part in the court integrated services program, which provides support on bail .

The man will face court at a later date.

The state's bail laws were relaxed in March, five years after they were toughened in the wake of Melbourne's fatal Bourke Street attack.