More potential female victims of a man charged with deprivation of liberty and sexual assault have come forward since his case was first mentioned, a Toowoomba court has heard.
Toowoomba man Nasir Ilyas Kicho broke down in tears on Tuesday as he pleaded with a magistrate to grant him bail, denying the charges against him.
“I swear by God’s name that these allegations did not happen. I did not do this,” Mr Kicho told Magistrate Kay Ryan through an interpreter, saying that he had tried to help the woman.
The 24-year-old Newtown man was charged and remanded in custody at the weekend.
Police allege a 36-year-old woman entered his vehicle in the Toowoomba CBD, believing it to be a rideshare.
Police allege she was driven to a Newtown address and taken to a structure there but managed to notify a friend.
Police prosecutor Julia Wheaton opposed bail when Mr Kicho’s lawyer sought for him to be released from custody.
Sergeant Wheaton said investigators were waiting for toxicology results from the scene and depending on those results, further charges could be forthcoming.
“I will also place on record that detectives have been contacted by other potential victims overnight,” Sergeant Wheaton said.
“But I cannot take it any higher than that as I have no further information in terms of what these people may say.
“It certainly sits with the information that police already have about this defendant’s concerning behaviour around women in the safe night precinct.
“It is the view of the prosecution that no conditions can be imposed that ameliorate the risk that this presents to women and the community and he should be remanded in custody.”
‘On bail at time of alleged offence’
The court heard on Tuesday that Mr Kicho was on bail for a different sexual assault at the time of Saturday’s alleged offence.
Defence lawyer Ryan McCullough told the court he was instructed that the allegations were, for the most part, “wholly denied”, particularly any non-consensual physical contact with the woman.
He said Mr Kicho arrived in Australia as an Iraqi refugee and that numerous family members remained in Iraq and Syria under Islamic State captivity.
Mr McCullough said Mr Kicho lived with his mother, brother and cousin.
He said Mr Kicho and his brother worked at a local meatworks.
“I am instructed he supports them on a daily basis, particularly because they don’t have driver’s licences and rely on him for transportation,” he said.
Mr McCullough said strict conditions including an ankle monitoring bracelet, a night curfew and a ban from the safe night precinct could be imposed if Mr Kicho was allowed bail.
Mr Kicho started speaking in Kurdish-Kurmanji from the dock as Ms Ryan detailed to him that he was already on bail for “other serious offences” and that he was not entitled to automatic bail on this occasion.
“Your Honour, what I have been charged with is not correct,” Mr Kicho said through a translator.
“I did not try to touch her, I did not try to force her to do anything.”
He said he had tried to help the woman out of kindness.
“My wife and kids live in Iraq and I am the only one who supports them. My mother lives here and I am the only one who supports her as well.
“I helped that lady because she was on the street crying … I did not try to force her, kiss her or do anything to her.”
He broke down in tears when he was denied bail.
“For how long will I be in jail? My mother has no-one else,” he said.
“Would I be able to have my phone and talk to my wife.
“I was captured without it and now I am here and I will be staying in jail.
“This is unfair.”
Ms Ryan ordered a brief of evidence be completed by April 9 and remanded Mr Kicho in custody to appear again on April 23.