Bail Refused For Alleged M1 Gunman
A MAGISTRATE who was urged not to bow to the ‘hot breath of public opinion’ over a Gold Coast shooting spree has refused bail for an accused M1 gunman.
Greg Stolz | December 10th, 2010 | Courier Mail
Mahan Gheisari, 27, appeared in Southport Magistrate’s Court today charged over the drive-by shooting at a young couple on the M1 last Saturday night. The female passenger was showered with glass as the bullet smashed through the rear window.
It was one of four gun crimes in three days on the Gold Coast, including a sniper attack on a businessman as he walked with his family through Surfers Paradise and a home invasion in which two teenage boys were tied up by a balaclava gunman.
Gheisari, who turned himself in to police on Wednesday night, faced court charged with attempted murder, dangerous conduct with a weapon, willful damage, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, and unlawful possession of a weapon.
Prosecutor Bob Falconer opposed bail, saying the female passenger had seen Gheisari turn on the light in his car as they drove on the M1 at Oxenford and shoot at them.
Mr Falconer said the bullet appeared to have passed narrowly over the woman’s head and she had suffered cuts from window fragments ‘blasted into her face’, in what was described as a random attack.
Gheisari was already on bail after allegedly being caught with 4.35kgs of MDMA powder, two pill presses and 140 ecstasy tablets, the prosecutor said.
The court was told neither the gun nor the BMW Gheisari was allegedly driving had been found by police, and defence solicitor Bill Potts called into question the ‘fleeting identification’ of his client and lack of scientific evidence.
Mr Potts said there was no allegations of Gheisari being involved in any of the other shooting incidents and urged magistrate Terry Duroux not to bow to ‘the hot breath of public opinion’.
Despite Gheisari’s family offering to put up a ‘substantial’ surety, Mr Duroux said he was satisfied he was an unacceptable risk of committing further offences and refused bail.
Gheisari was remanded in custody until his next court appearance on January 20.
Bail refused for alleged M1 gunman
Leah Fineran | December 10th, 2010 | Gold Coast Bulletin
ALLEGED highway gunman Mahan Gheisari has been refused bail in a Gold Coast court.
Magistrate Terry Duroux this morning rejected a strenuous bail application made by solicitor Bill Potts on behalf of the 27-year-old Arundel man who is charged with attempted murder.
Police have alleged Mr Gheisari was driving his parents’ BMW northbound near Oxenford on the M1 (Pacific Motorway) on Saturday night when he fired a single shot from a handgun at a female passenger in a passing Holden Commodore.
Kellie McKay, 23, suffered facial cuts from the shattered car window and police found a 9mm bullet sliver under her seat.
Mr Duroux accepted police fears that Mr Gheisari was an unacceptable risk to the community’s safety.
Police also alleged Mr Gheisari was on Supreme Court bail for serious drug offences including possessing more than 4kg of MDMA powder, 140 MDMA tablets and a pill press.
Mr Potts said his client was not currently facing a breach of bail charge.
Mr Gheisari, clad in a black jumper that could not hide his neck tattoos, sat quietly as the magistrate remanded him in custody.
His case was set down for case conferencing on January 20.