A MAN pulled from the boot of a car will remain behind bars, charged over a violent home invasion in Armidale earlier this month.
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Police found Darren Brian Cutmore hiding in the boot of a car on the Waterfall Way at Hillgrove just after 4pm on Thursday, when they pulled the vehicle over.
Officers stopped the sedan and spoke with the female driver before searching the car, where they found the 24-year-old hiding.
Cutmore, who lives in Glennifer near Bellingen, had been wanted by Armidale detectives investigating a violent home invasion in MacDonald Dr.
Four men, two with firearms and another with a knife, stormed the home about 3am on September 5.
They threatened the occupants, and a 35-year-old man was injured.
New England Detective Inspector Ann Joy told The Leader yesterday that detectives would allege in court Cutmore had been involved in the incident.
“He is alleged to have been one of the persons inside the premises,” she said.
“He was charged with two outstanding warrants: the first for a robbery occurring in the Lismore area in April 2015 and the second an assault occasioning actual bodily harm at Armidale.”
Cutmore appeared in Armidale Local Court yesterday morning. He lodged a fresh bid for release but was denied bail by Magistrate Karen Stafford.
Ms Stafford found Cutmore was an unacceptable risk of failing to appear at court, committing a serious offence and endangering the safety of victims, witnesses or the community, and no conditions proposed would mitigate the risks.
The case has been referred to the DPP and a brief of evidence has been ordered, with Cutmore to remain in custody until the matter returns to court in November.
Detective Inspector Joy said Armidale detectives were continuing to investigate the home invasion, which was believed to be targeted.
They are still trying to determine if it was linked to a similar aggravated break-in one day earlier in Uralla, where two firearms were stolen.
“We haven’t got any confirmation of that and those inquiries just continue,” she said yesterday.
“Anyone that may have information on those incidents would be encouraged to contact Armidale detectives at the station on 6771 0699.”
