A Ballarat man, who allegedly smashed all the windows in his ex-partner's new boyfriend's car with a red fire extinguisher at the Portland drag racing event on Saturday, has been granted bail.
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Ashley Bull, 26, of Ripon Street, has been charged with five offences, including intentionally causing damage, theft from a vehicle and assaults.
He arrived at the South Coast Raceway in west Portland about 8.45am Saturday and an alleged incident took place at 7.15pm.
It's alleged the accused approached the car with a red fire extinguisher and smashed all the windows, causing extensive and costly damage.
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He has also been charged with stealing sunglasses and a $50 power board from the vehicle.
That led to a physical altercation during which the accused is alleged to have tried to strangle a male victim.
Portland police Senior Constable Campbell McKenzie told the court Bull was already on a range of driving offences after being intercepted by police three times.
Those charges include driving while suspended, driving an unregistered vehicle, driving erratically, colliding with a vehicle and fleeing the scene of an accident.
In June an intervention order was put in place to protect a woman.
It's alleged Bull breached the intervention order and damaged a vehicle, charges he denies.
Magistrate Mark Stratmann bailed Bull to appear in the Ballarat Magistrates' Court on February 17 next year.
He said while the victim may be concerned due to Bull's erratic behaviour that he found there had been compelling reasons to release the accused on bail.
The magistrate said it was unlikely that even if proven that a jail sentence would be imposed, meaning time spent in custody on remand would outweigh the potential penalty.
He said the issue of delay was significant in the case and Bull had no prior court appearances.
But, he said Bull was in a "very tight spot right now".
"You are now on four counts of bail and really have no room to move," Mr Stratmann told Bull.
"If any further offences are committed, you are arrested and brought before court then a magistrate may well find that 'enough is enough'.
"You need to get that message loud and clear," he said.
-The Standard
