A man accused of large-scale drug trafficking has failed in a bid to relax his home detention bail conditions, after telling a court he needed greater flexibility to recover from a past workplace injury.
Stavros Theoharis, 33, appeared before the Adelaide Magistrates Court seeking a variation that would allow him to work longer hours in his construction business and continue rehabilitation.
“I suffered a workplace accident a few years ago,” he said. “I was run over by a forklift and I need to rehabilitate my injuries and keep on top of my mobility and strength.”
Prosecutors opposed the application, arguing there was no supporting medical documentation and pointing to the seriousness of the charges.
“The basis for the opposition of the application is the director’s concerns of reoffending and flight, in contrast, to a very strong prosecution case and a very serious raft of some 23 offences,” they said.
“We have no evidence beyond what’s in the defendant’s application (seeking medical treatment) – the director has been provided no paperwork or documents supporting any of this.”
Theoharis, arrested as part of the AN0M-related Operation Ironside crackdown, faces multiple drug trafficking and cultivation charges, though he has not yet entered pleas.
The court also heard he allegedly breached bail by failing to complete a required drug test, which he denied, stating he was “unable to urinate” at the time.
Magistrate Patrick Hill refused the application, ordering that he remain on existing bail conditions ahead of his next court appearance later this month.
Source: The Advertiser
