After almost one year in custody, two men and a woman accused of invading a Brown Hill home armed with weapons, remain locked up. Police allege Timothy Rodger, Luke Ross and Georgia Lynch attended the Bradbury Street house on July 2, 2018, to confront the owner over a $50 debt. It is alleged at 12.30am, the trio were armed with a meat cleaver and block of timber when they smashed the property's front windows before forcing entry inside. A number of items were allegedly damaged inside the house after the frightened owner ran out the back door to hide. The trio, who have been in custody for almost a year, made applications for bail at the Ballarat Magistrates Court on Wednesday. The court refused their applications because they did not show exceptional circumstances why they should be released into the community. Magistrate Gregory Robinson said he found the exceptional circumstances submitted to the court on the accused's behalf were quite ordinary. Police opposed bail, saying the accused's were an unacceptable risk of interfering with prosecution witnesses. They were required to show exceptional circumstances why they should be given bail. Eleanor Miller, for Rodger, submitted there was significant delay in the case with a trial would not likely be held until March 2020. She said the prosecution case was weak based on the "inconsistent" evidence given by the victim at the committal hearing. If released on bail, Rodger would have stable accommodation with his parents, would be employed and abide by strict bail conditions, the court was told. Ross was receiving medication in custody for an acquired brain injury but had not received treatment for the past 12 months. The court was told a medical report tendered to the court indicated he was in need of this treatment. Lynch submitted she had four children aged from 21 to 4, and her incarceration was placing her family under hardship. The court was told there was a significant chance Lynch would lose her government house if she was remanded in custody. The magistrate said he accepted Rodger, Ross and Lynch had strong family support but they did not meet exceptional circumstance why they should be bailed. They were refused bail and remanded in custody until a direction's hearing on July 4. Rodger, Ross and Lynch face a string of serious charges, including aggravated home invasion, aggravated burglary and criminal damage. They were committed to stand trial at an earlier committal hearing. Have you signed up to The Courier's daily newsletter and breaking news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in Ballarat.
