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A masked man accused of breaking into a home and snatching a toddler from his cot has been refused bail after claiming to be an undiagnosed schizophrenic who ‘heard voices’ before the alleged incident.
A 31-year-old man was arrested on Sunday night and charged with one count of child stealing and another of entering a dwelling with intent.
He faced Richlands Magistrates Court in Brisbane on Monday, where he was denied bail and told he posed an ‘unacceptable risk’ to the community.
An Amber Alert was issued on Sunday morning after a one-year-old boy disappeared in the dead of night from a home in Warrender Street in Darra, Brisbane.
Seven hours after he was taken, the boy was found at a boarding house in nearby Salisbury, a 14-minute drive from where he was last seen.
The court heard the accused was not biologically related to the little boy, but briefly dated his mother ‘some time ago’.
An Amber Alert was issued on Sunday morning after a one-year-old boy disappeared in the dead of night from a home in Warrender Street in Darra, Brisbane. He was found seven hours later
A 31-year-old man (pictured) was arrested on Sunday night and charged with one count of child stealing and another of entering a dwelling with intent
The little boy’s step-grandfather was not allowed inside the court due to Covid restrictions, and anxiously waited out the front to learn of the accused’s fate.
He also explained the man once dated the child’s mother – albeit ‘very briefly’ – and did not know the child well.
Six other children were sleeping inside the house when the man allegedly crept in about 4am and scooped the little boy out of his cot.
He wore gloves, a face mask, cap and long sleeved clothing, presumably to avoid detection, but was later identified on CCTV footage.
The court heard the man told police he suffered from ‘undiagnosed schizophrenia’ and was hearing voices prior to taking the little boy.
The accused told the court he has no criminal history in Australia or New Zealand, and is a permanent resident.
Queensland Police said the boy, who is 20 months old, was taken from Warrender Street in Darra about 4am on Sunday
The child’s step-granddad spent hours waiting outside Richlands Magistrates Court anxiously awaiting news on the accused’s bail application
While the defence assured the court the man would be willing to seek mental health support, Magistrate Aaron Simpson said he could not take the risk and opposed bail in accordance with police advice.
The child’s step-grandfather said learning of his mental health conditions made the ordeal ‘all the more scary’.
‘He could’ve done something even more serious inside the house… We could’ve all been hurt. Other kids were asleep, he could’ve picked any of them.
‘I am still shaking at the fact that a total stranger can be in the house with all the kids asleep and my partner asleep.’
The man said during the brief ‘two to three month period’ that he knew the accused, he appeared to be a ‘nice young person’.
The toddler was reunited with his family on Sunday afternoon after he was missing for seven hours
The accused told the court he has no criminal history in Australia or New Zealand, and is a permanent resident
‘The last night has been hard… We’re still grieving. We want to know why he picked us, what happened.’
He claimed he was being kept in the dark about the events and is ‘just looking for answers’ as the family try to move past the incident.
‘Last night I kept getting up to the slightest noise in the house… I didn’t get much sleep.’
The little boy, who is four months away from his second birthday, has not brought up the ordeal and is in ‘high spirits’.
‘He’s great, really, really good and happy. He’s running around again, chasing the chickens and he’s sleeping fine,’ the step-grandfather said.
The man will next appear in court on March 29th.
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