Man, held after ramming police, threatened robbery victim with saw: police
One of four males dramatically arrested after a series of inner-city robberies menaced one victim with a heavy-duty pruning saw, police allege.
Greystanes man Dean Saunders, 22, briefly faced Parramatta Local Court via audiovisual link on several charges on Thursday morning.
Police alleged in court documents Mr Saunders was brandishing the saw when he and two teenage boys robbed a man of his iPhone X in Haymarket just after 4am on July 30.
It is alleged Mr Saunders also used a weapon to try to prevent being arrested after the stolen Mercedes he and three teenagers were in rammed police in Alexandria on Wednesday evening.
He is also charged with taking and driving the Mercedes without consent, driving without having ever been licensed, resisting arrest and possessing cannabis.
Dressed in prison greens, he rubbed his eyes and face repeatedly during the hearing.
He did not apply for bail and it was refused.
He will reappear at Central Local Court on August 9, when, the court heard, he will possibly apply for bail.
Mr Saunders' social media profile repeatedly references "BFL" and "Brothers for Life", the now-defunct crime gang led by jailed killer Bassam Hamzy.
There have been recent media reports of Illawarra criminals trying to resurrect the gang.
The three teenagers, two aged 16 and one 17, were refused bail. They did not appear before a Children's Court on Thursday morning and had their matters adjourned to August 9.
One 16-year-old boy was charged with armed robbery, resisting police, taking and driving a conveyance without the consent of the owner, and breaching bail.
The other 16-year-old boy was charged with armed robbery, resisting police, taking and driving a conveyance without the consent of the owner, and aggravated break, enter and steal.
The 17-year-old was charged with taking and driving a conveyance without the consent of the owner and two counts of aggravated break, enter and steal.
On Wednesday, just after 5.30pm, a silver Mercedes AMG was spotted by police on Euston Lane in Alexandria.
Police tried to box in the Mercedes, using two unmarked police cars, but the Mercedes driver allegedly tried to escape by reversing into one of the police cars, which injured a female officer inside, before accelerating into other police cars.
A dog unit vehicle was also hit and a male officer sustained cuts to his arms and legs.
The female officer was taken to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital for treatment of a minor cut to her head, and the male officer was treated by paramedics. Four police vehicles were also damaged.
After a scuffle with numerous police officers, the four who were in the Mercedes were arrested at the scene.