By Cam Lucadou-Wells
Two confessed drug-users have faced court accused of an attempted home-break in Noble Park to which one of them brought a machete.
Ali Dileri, 26, of no fixed address, and Owrak Azhany, 37, of Doveton, were arrested soon after the alleged attempted burglary in Latimer Street about 2pm on 2 October.
They appeared in separate bail hearings at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court the next day.
Dileri, who was accused of holding the 70-centimetre machete, was refused bail. Azhany was successful in his application.
Dileri and Azhany were allegedly observed by a neighbour walking to the rear of the house, knocking on a door and receiving no answer.
Azhany was accused of attempting to force open a side window with a jemmy bar, according to police.
As they walked away down the street, the pair were arrested by police and also charged over a stolen Camry parked nearby.
Azhany was allegedly found holding a jemmy bar, white gloves, a black glove, $515 cash, and substances believed to be heroin, ice and an LSD-tab in separate zip-lock bags.
Only released from a immigration detention centre a month ago, Azhany was facing a pending theft of motor vehicle charge on summons at the time.
Dileri was carrying the machete, two gloves and a suspected-stolen Nintendo DS games device, police alleged.
He was out on bail over charges including burglary, theft of a vehicle and possessing suspected stolen goods from two separate incidents in June and August.
Dileri’s lawyer, Nadine Daniel, argued the pending burglary charge related to the then-homeless accused being found asleep on a couch in what he thought was a vacant house.
He had been living in a Dandenong boarding house that closed less than two months ago, the court was told.
Ms Daniel argued that Dileri could be assessed for CREDIT bail to assist with his drug issues, had unconfirmed “stable” accommodation with an elderly man in a boarding house and that there were “flaws” in the prosecution case.
She claimed the former Iranian’s admissions to the attempted burglary were induced by police threats that his permanent residency would be revoked.
Magistrate Jack Vandersteen noted Dileri had told police he was armed with a machete to scare occupants in the house.
“It’s concerning that you’re walking the streets with a machete in the middle of the day.”
He said he couldn’t bail Dileri without confirmation of a stable address.
Dileri is scheduled to appear at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court for mention on 13 October while Azhany is expected to appear on 28 October.
