A judge has refused a remand prisoner day bail to attend his mate's funeral, after the accused man allegedly robbed an elderly Chinese woman at a Canberra bus interchange.
Police documents tendered to the ACT Supreme Court said Conrad James Reid, 36, reached over the woman's shoulder at Gungahlin on June 25 after she withdrew $400 from a Commonwealth Bank ATM.
The woman - who is 79 years old, about four feet nine inches tall, and speaks limited English - allegedly ran after Mr Reid before two off-duty police officers grabbed him and brought him to the ground.
The documents said the police officers removed $350 from Mr Reid's waistband. The remaining $50 allegedly surfaced later at the watch house, where Mr Reid pulled the cash from his anus and left it on the floor of his cell.
He allegedly identified himself to police as his brother, Shane Reid.
Conrad Reid has pleaded guilty to one count of drug possession and one count of knife possession in the ACT Magistrates Court, but denies the robbery, providing a false name to police, and two indictable charges: aggravated burglary and going equipped to commit theft.
He is yet to enter pleas to another drug possession charge and possessing ammunition.
In the ACT Supreme Court on Thursday, defence lawyer Priyanka Koci said Mr Reid wanted to be granted bail to attend his friend's funeral for a couple of hours on Friday.
She said the pair had been best friends during school, and Mr Reid "looks to him as something of a role model and wishes to pay his respects".
Prosecutor Elizabeth Wren, though, opposed Mr Reid's bail application. She said he had to prove "special or exceptional circumstances" to be granted it given the nature of his offending, and missing the funeral was a "regrettable consequence of being remanded in custody".
Mr Reid had to prove special or exceptional circumstances because he allegedly committed offences while on bail.
"All detainees at the Alexander Maconochie Centre miss important events," Ms Wren said.
"He's simply not a person who is able to comply with bail conditions."
Justice Michael Elkaim agreed with Ms Wren that Mr Reid had not proved special or exceptional circumstances, so he could not grant him bail.
Mr Reid pleaded with the judge, telling him he'd made a lot of mistakes in his life and, "I'm only going for a couple of hours to pay my respects ... he's like my brother".
But Mr Elkaim said the law didn't allow for it.
"If it had been your father, it may have been a different result, but I'm afraid the law just says 'no'," Justice Elkaim said.
Mr Reid is next listed to appear in the ACT Magistrates Court on October 21.
