Elie Nsombo, 22, of Shepparton was arrested and charged on Wednesday, February 8 with aggravated home invasion, causing serious injury intentionally in circumstances of gross violence, intentionally cause serious injury, intentionally cause injury and committing an indictable offence while on bail.
He is the third person arrested over the incident, with police still seeking two other men.
Police opposed Mr Nsombo’s application for bail at Shepparton Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, February 9.
Informant Shepparton Crime Investigation Unit Detective Senior Constable Andrew Costello told the court that Mr Nsombo and four co-accused entered a Sidney Crt, Shepparton home about 9.15pm on September 2, 2022, and assaulted the two occupants.
Det Snr Constable Costello said one victim received six stab wounds to his left leg, losing a significant amount of blood, and was given a less than one per cent chance of surviving his injuries.
The 33-year-old man, who remains in hospital, was in a coma for six weeks and it’s not known if he will regain full use of his injured leg, the court heard.
Det Snr Constable Costello said the other victim, also a 33-year-old man, was struck in the head with a hammer, fracturing his skull and causing him to lose consciousness, leaving him suffering seizures.
The court heard one of the co-accused, a former Shepparton man who has also been charged, had allegedly tried to buy cannabis from the stabbing victim earlier in the afternoon but was refused.
Det Snr Constable Costello said he believed this was a chance to investigate who was home and plan the attack.
He also told the court police had captured Mr Nsombo making admissions to the crime in a telephone intercept and to covert police operatives while in custody.
Det Snr Constable Costello said Mr Nsombo was heard during a phone call saying “I did that s***” in relation to the incident.
However, solicitor Emma King told the court Mr Nsombo believed he said, “they think I did that s***”, in reference to the police.
Mr Nsombo came to Australia aged 12 as a refugee from the Congo and is now a permanent resident, Ms King said.
The court heard he was schooled in Shepparton, worked full-time at a factory and has close ties to the community and family support.
Ms King said while Mr Nsombo was on bail at the time of the alleged offence, he had a limited criminal history.
Ms King also told the court Mr Nsombo had gone to the Shepparton Police Station three times after being asked to by detectives, however he wasn’t interviewed by police due to what Det Snr Constable Costello described as an “investigative strategy”.
Magistrate Anne Goldsbrough delivered her decision to refuse Mr Nsombo bail on Friday, February 10.
Ms Goldsbrough found the prosecution’s case was strong following an extensive investigation, and if found guilty the charges attracted periods of years in custody.
“I do believe the applicant is a risk of re-offending ... I don’t consider the bail terms could manage the risk to an acceptable level,” she said.
