AN ARMIDALE man who faces up to 20 years behind bars if he is convicted of supplying a commercial quantity of drugs has been released on bail by the Supreme Court.
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Marcus James Bruno Crane was granted conditional release yesterday morning in the Supreme Court in Sydney, despite strong opposition from police and the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
Justice Peter Hidden had adjourned the part-heard bail application from last week, and yesterday, the officer-in-charge of the case was called for cross-examination as part of an attempt by the DPP to keep Crane in custody.
Crane has been remanded in custody since March 10, when he was extradited from Townsville by New England detectives.
The 30-year-old was charged with the large commercial supply of ecstasy, after he allegedly sold 3700 tablets, and is facing a further commercial supply charge of an extra 1000 MDMA tablets.
Strike Force Ansae, a 10-month operation set up by Armidale detectives to investigate the sale of illegal drugs, will also allege Crane was involved in the commercial supply of amphetamine and was dealing cocaine as well as almost 9.5kg of cannabis.
After reviewing submissions from the defence and DPP yesterday morning, Justice Hidden granted Crane bail, with three conditions, including that he enter rehabilitation at a centre on the Central Coast.
“He is to undertake a course of rehabilitation at that centre for as long as the course is available to him,” Justice Hidden’s orders read.
“The applicant is not to apply for a passport or other travel document and he is not to approach any point of departure from this country.”
A family member was also ordered to forfeit $50,000 if Crane fails to appear in court.
Crane, who was being held in Cessnock’s maximum-security jail ahead of yesterday’s application, is yet to enter a plea to his eight drug supply charges but is scheduled to appear in an Armidale court today.
Crane has previously tried to secure bail in the local court but was unsuccessful.
In April, an Armidale magistrate refused Crane bail, telling the court he was a flight risk and was “looking at many, many years in jail” if convicted.