A MAN arrested for the break-ins of two Summer Street shops has to stay in jail, because he cannot find somewhere to live or come up with $1,000 surety.
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Shannon Ah-See, 31, was arrested for breaking-in to a golf shop in 2002 and a music store in 2005, after his fingerprints came up as a match on the NSW Police DNA system in Penrith last year.
Police allege Ah-See stole four electric guitars from the music store and two golf clubs from the golf shop.
Ah-See’s legal aid solicitor Mina Aresh argued for bail in Orange Local Court on Monday, saying her client has been in jail for seven months waiting for police to finalise the DNA evidence in the case.
She said Ah-See should not be penalised while police formalised their DNA evidence.
But police prosecutor Sergeant Andy Bobin told the court the officer dealing with the DNA evidence was on leave.
Ms Aresh asked the court to also take into consideration her client’s plea of not guilty to the charges.
She said her client, who had been removed from his family home as a child because of abuse, could live with his aunt in Wellington if she could be contacted.
Magistrate Terry Lucas said the prosecution case appeared to be strong, but he wasn’t prepared to grant bail until a residential address with Ah-See’s aunt could be confirmed and the accused could post surety.
He stood the case over to later in the session to give Ms Aresh an opportunity to locate Ah-See’s aunt and speak to her client about surety of $1,000.
However when Ms Aresh later returned to the courtroom, she told Mr Lucas she had been unable to locate her client’s aunt and it was not possible for him to post surety.
Ah-See will remain in jail until the March hearing.