A man arrested over his alleged role in a southern Riverina aggravated burglary where it's claimed a man and woman were attacked in their home has cried on being refused bail.
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Joseph Pridmore swayed in the Albury police station dock and called out in despair: "I was dragged into this by another person."
The 34-year-old had hoped to be bailed to live at a house in Nathalia with his wife and several young children.
But Magistrate Melissa Humphreys found a list of proposed bail conditions put forward by his lawyer, Hassan Ameen, would not be enough to mitigate the risk of him failing to appear in court.
Magistrate Humphreys said Pridmore was facing a full-time jail sentence if convicted over allegations that, as outlined in a police summary of the case, represented a strong prosecution case, and that the community needed to be protected from him.
The bearded and tattooed Pridmore, wearing a blue singlet, was supported in court on Tuesday, April 30, by his wife, who also burst into tears on bail being refused.
She immediately rushed out of the courtroom, minutes after repeatedly interjecting as the bail hearing proceeded.
After bail was refused, a second man arrested over the alleged incident at Finley about 11.15am on Monday - Benjamin Moor, 29 - decided not to proceed with his own application.
Defence lawyer Glenn Moody had asked for a brief adjournment to take further instructions from Moor.
Pridmore was charged with two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, aggravated robbery and break and enter with the intention of committing a serious indictable offence.
Moor is charged with two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and break and enter and commit a serious indictable offence.
Neither man was required to enter pleas.
Police were called to a house in Atkinson Street, Finley, over reports a man and woman had been assaulted with a metal bar and shovel.
It was alleged a handbag and documents were taken before two men fled the scene.
Police said a woman, 40, was treated by paramedics for injuries to her face, head and arms before being taken to Deniliquin hospital.
The man, 26, was treated at the scene for arm injuries, but declined a hospital trip.
As part of investigations begun by officers with the Murray River Police District, a Kia Carnival was stopped on the Riverina Highway about 20 kilometres east of Deniliquin at 11.40am.
Pridmore and Moor were arrested and taken to Deniliquin police station, where they were refused bail to front Albury Local Court.
Ms Humphreys ordered that the case remain in Albury, with committal mentions on June 25.
Earlier, Mr Ameen submitted that his client had played a far more limited role in what allegedly unfolded as he merely stood outside the back of the house holding a shovel.
"He is not the one being violent when the offending occurs," he said.
Mr Ameen said if refused bail, Pridmore could spend a lengthy period on remand before the case was finalised.
"It might be, on the police facts, that the matter goes to trial," he said.
On opposing bail for Pridmore, Sergeant Andrew Coombs submitted that the incident allegedly involved "serious examples" of assaults.
Sergeant Coombs said police would claim these were aggravated by having taken place in the complainants' home, in company, and that Pridmore was the person who "drives them away" from the scene.
