DNA on machete at house points to Kialla man

He is charged with aggravated home invasion, aggravated burglary using weapons, theft, and recklessly causing injury.

Police allege Mr Al-Ibraheem and four others jemmied open a garage and then went through an internal door into a house in the Melbourne suburb of Craigieburn shortly after 11.40pm on June 25.

A police officer told the court two of the men confronted the resident, with one holding a knife or machete to his neck and another to his ribs, before the third and fourth people punched him in the head.

The men demanded gold and money, before stealing $7060, three sets of car keys, store keys and warehouse keys, the officer said.

The alleged victim was then dragged to the lounge room and his head was allegedly pushed into the ground and he was punched again in the face.

Another of the men then covered the alleged victim’s mouth, while holding a machete and told him “relax, if we don’t take anything we’ll take you with us”, the officer said.

The men then left, with two mobile phones they had also stolen.

The officer told the court that a machete that was left on the kitchen table had DNA on it that was one in 100 billion more likely to be Mr Al-Ibraheem’s DNA than anyone else’s.

The court was also told of a photo found on one of the men’s phones of Mr Al-Ibraheem standing with three of his co-accused, who were standing holding two firearms that were stolen four hours earlier in a home invasion in Ringwood.

Seven guns were stolen in that incident.

The court heard Mr Al-Ibraheem was not holding the guns in the photo, but was posing with them.

Police alleged that Mr Al-Ibraheem was an unacceptable risk, for several reasons including that he is “willing to utilise weapons, actively associating with gang-affiliated members who are sourcing firearms, (and) engaging in pack-mentality offending that continues to put members of the community at risk”.

Mr Al-Ibraheem’s defence counsel argued that pings of Mr Al-Ibraheem’s phone on phone towers in the area was all that police had to put her client at the scene.

However, magistrate David Faram disagreed, saying the DNA on the machete “clearly places him at the property”.

Mr Al-Ibraheem’s solicitor also told the court her client had never been in custody before, and had full-time work available.

She also said Al-Ibraheem was only in his 20s, whereas his co-accused were all in their 30s.

She also said he had been living in Melbourne, where he had enrolled in a university course at the start of the year, but deferred.

If bailed, she said Mr Al-Ibraheem could live with his parents in Kialla.

In refusing Mr Al-Ibraheem bail, Mr Faram said the prosecution had a strong case, and the alleged offending was very serious, specifically the aggravated home invasion.

He acknowledged Mr Al-Ibraheem was a young person, had a limited criminal history, and it would be his first time in custody, but said he’d shown a “real propensity for violence” on innocent people.

He will next appear in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court for a committal mention in December.