A MAN accused of threatening to kill someone has been told he's lucky to have bail at all after the court heard he wanted to scrap his curfew, move into a "drug house" and go to Newcastle where his alleged victim lives.
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Zachary Wilkinson has been on strict bail conditions since he was released from custody in late August.
Tamworth Local Court heard the 26-year-old now wanted his overnight house arrest to be lifted so he could do fencing work, wanted to move out of his mother's house for more independence, and wanted to go and collect belongings from Newcastle.
Solicitor Andrew Passlow from the state prosecuting authority, the DPP, opposed the changes.
Magistrate Julie Soars said the bail conditions Wilkinson had agreed to were strict and the DPP didn't want them loosened just because they don't "quite suit him now".
"To be quite frank ... he's lucky he has bail and trying to tinker with it in a substantial way is difficult," Ms Soars told the court.
"These are serious charges, the risk to the community arise in relation to them."
Defence solicitor Sarah Ralston told the court one of the changes Wilkinson wanted was to his bail address.
"He feels overly reliant living with his mother," she said.
She told the court Wilkinson wanted to move in with a "family friend".
Mr Passlow said there was a suggestion the Tamworth house Wilkinson wanted to live in was a "drug house", with one of the residents facing drug charges.
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Wilkinson is accused of threatening to shoot and kill someone, and the court heard the alleged victim lived in Newcastle.
Ms Ralston said Wilkinson wanted to be able to enter the city to collect belongings, despite having been allowed to go there briefly when he was first released.
She also said Wilkinson wanted his overnight house arrest curfew lifted so he could take on fencing work across the region.
Ms Soars said that if she was asked to rule on the contested bail variations, she would knock them back.
"I would decline to delete curfew, I would decline delete not to enter Newcastle," she said.
"Today his bail review is refused."
She also did not allow him to change his bail address.
Wilkinson faces two charges which each carry up to 15 years' imprisonment as well as another two charges which both carry a maximum of 10 years behind bars, if found guilty.
He has not had to enter pleas to three counts of drug supply; and using a carriage service to threaten to kill someone.
The case was adjourned to later this month.
Police and crime reporter at the Newcastle Herald.
Police and crime reporter at the Newcastle Herald.
