Jimmy Martin denied bail to visit elderly mother over Christmas after alleged restraining order breach

A Collie magistrate has denied pleas from a Perth man to be released on bail to visit his elderly mother over Christmas after he breached a restraining order. Jimmy Martin appeared in Collie Magistrates Court via videolink from Bunbury Regional Prison on December 22 on two charges of breaching a Family Violence Restraining order. The man — who had not yet received legal advice and was self representing — applied for a bail application to go back to Perth spend time with his diabetic elderly mother over the Christmas period. Mr Martin was served with a court ordered family violence restraining order on February 11 last year after being convicted of domestic violence-related charges against his former romantic partner. On September 17, it was alleged the man was watching television with the woman in her home in Collie when he threatened to hit her with a golf club before smashing the TV. Police arrested Mr Martin that evening and he has remained in custody. It was further alleged prior to that incident, on August 29, the man and the protected woman were seen in a car in Jandakot, south of Perth. In his defence, Mr Martin said his former partner and himself were not aware of the order because it was not requested by the woman. He said the woman picked him up from Perth two days prior to his arrest to “change some locks” in her house. Magistrate Benjamin Tyers rejected the mans pleas and said community-based services would have made the order “very clear” after the conditional suspended imprisonment. Mr Tyers said there was no pressing concern for his mother’s wellbeing as Mr Martin was “quite happy to leave (his) mother to travel to Collie for a couple of days”. Mr Martin’s matter was adjourned for legal advice, with Mr Tyers refusing his bail application due to his “significant risk of imprisonment” following these charges. “A term of imprisonment is inevitable,” he said. Mr Martin will reappear in Collie Magistrates Court on January 5.