A BITHRAMERE man who faces life in jail for manufacturing ice and housing a cache of guns has failed in his bid for release from prison.
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Ronald Kenneth Ramsay put his head in his hands after Magistrate Michael Holmes refused his application for bail in Tamworth Local Court yesterday.
The 35-year-old is being held in the maximum-security wing of the Cessnock Correctional Centre, after his arrest on September 8 when police raided his Glenara Ln home.
Police will allege Ramsay had more than 500g of a white crystal substance suspected to be methylamphetamine and cutting agents used in the manufacture of illegal drugs in his home.
Under laws that came into effect in September, the charge carries life imprisonment, and triggered a show-cause hearing yesterday for Ramsay to prove why he shouldn’t be kept in custody.
“The accused has made [alleged] admissions to possessing firearms and has made admissions to manufacturing drugs at his property,” a solicitor for the DPP said, adding detectives were still waiting on a forensic analysis certificate on the drugs, as well as chemist and ballistics reports.
Ramsay’s barrister Rod Clifford argued “it has been a nightmare” to talk to his client and it was “unfair” he was in prison.
“It’s near impossible to get proper instructions,” he said.
“He is illiterate with a grade six education.”
But Mr Holmes dismissed the argument. He said the compilation of evidence took time and there was technology for videoconferencing with his client.
“You don’t need to give me a history lesson in the legislation,” he said.
The court was told Ramsay was a well-known horse trainer, transporter and hay cutter and was “well respected” in the rodeo community.
But Mr Clifford argued everything had “fallen apart” for his client over the past eight weeks, with mounting debts and mortgage repayments needed on his property.
“Quite simply, he’s losing everything,” he said, adding his client was “a cleanskin in front of the courts”.
“He’s tied to the land around here.”
Mr Clifford said he would not detail his defence, but there was “more to it” than what was on the face of the facts, and submitted there was “questionable” taking of evidence in relation to the search warrant and interviews that could be inadmissible.
In his determination, Mr Holmes said the charges were “of real concern”, and Ramsay had failed to show why his detention was not justified.
He will remain behind bars until the case returns to court next year.
