Suspended NSW cop denied bail for robbery
A suspended police officer and two other men accused of using capsicum spray in a violent $300,000 robbery have been denied bail in a Sydney court.
Ashur Oshana, a 29-year-old senior constable who lives at home with his parents, has been suspended without pay and could be jailed with his co-accused for up to 20 years for armed robbery in company.
Phillip Truong and Jamal Tashman, both 29, were also arrested at Cabramatta and charged with armed robbery after being brought down by heavily-armed police following Monday's hold-up.
The men are also facing three counts of larceny for stealing registration plates.
All three were denied bail at Campbelltown Local Court on Thursday as the court found their release would pose an unacceptable risk to the community's safety.
Magistrate Ian Guy also said there was a risk the men wouldn't appear at future court appearances, despite several members of their family offering "substantial" sureties.
The court heard four people were attacked with capsicum spray during the robbery, a woman with $300,000 in her bag was sprayed when she refused to release it as was her manager and two bystanders who came to help her.
Their lawyer Greg James said the men would "rot" in custody for six months while waiting for a possible trial date.
He said they were prepared to surrender their passports, stay with family, adhere to a curfew and avoid contact with each other and others related to the case.
"Each of the accused has no record. Each has substantial community ties," Mr James said.
He also downplayed the nature of their alleged crime.
"It really is a serious version of a bag snatch," he said.
The prosecution, however, argued the strength of their case was "almost overwhelming."
Surveillance footage of the robbery from undercover police and the police helicopter, photos of the men allegedly meeting, driving to the scene and staking it out and the violent nature of the robbery indicated the men would be an unacceptable risk if granted bail, the court heard.
"There would have to be a real risk the accused persons would not appear in court," prosecutor Jill Kiely said.
Mr Guy accepted the men had no criminal history, but said the offence was "extremely serious" and much more than a bag snatch.
"It involves a high level of sophistication, a high level of violence... a high degree of planning," he said.
He said the bail conditions offered by Mr James on behalf of his clients, who appeared via audio visual link, wouldn't mitigate the risk they posed if released.
The three accused are due before Campbelltown Local Court on October 22 for their case to be mentioned.
