Canberra man accused of attempted murder with machete denied bail
A man accused of using a 25-inch machete to sever three fingers from an associate's hand has had his bid for freedom refused by the ACT Supreme Court.
Zachery Norton, 30, is facing a charge of attempted murder over a violent altercation in September last year at a Wanniassa home, where police allege he had been a squatter.
It is alleged Mr Norton used a machete from beside his bed to attack the man, who he had discovered going to the toilet in a cardboard box in the kitchen of the property.
Court documents show the alleged victim was first struck in the back of the head, causing a 15-centimetre cut and a fracture.
He was then struck on the hand twice, severing three fingers on his left hand and severely injuring his wrist, the documents show.
The man underwent a 14-hour surgery and was in a coma for four days.
On Thursday, the ACT Supreme Court heard the man's fingers have now been reattached but have limited function.
Mr Norton has been in custody since he was arrested by police while trying to board a bus headed from Canberra to Yass in November last year.
At the time, he told police he did not have the option of calling police about the alleged victim, because he feared the man.
Chief Justice Lucy McCallum said she was aware of a moral code among a certain social milieu that applied the principle of "we don't call the police" and a fear of being labelled "a dog".
Mr Norton applied for bail arguing that three special circumstances applied to his case, including that he should be freed to care for his mother, who the court heard was of poor health.
He also argued there would be an unreasonable delay before his future trial and that his actions could in part be explained by self-defence.
Chief Justice McCallum said that despite court restraints, effort was made to prioritise matters involving young Aboriginal men and that any delay would not be significant.
She said Mr Norton's arguments did not amount to special circumstances and refused his application for bail.
He will remain in custody until his next court appearance in July.
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