A magistrate has refused a Wanniassa student bail after the 23-year-old allegedly stole from cars and told police "I have a knife", before he tried to flee.
Andrew James Francis Beath-Williams fronted the ACT Magistrates Court on Monday via audio-visual link from a remote room.
He is yet to enter pleas to three charges - possessing a knife and two counts of theft - which the court heard he allegedly committed in breach of his existing good behaviour order.
Police documents tendered to the court alleged members of the public spotted Beath-Williams accessing vehicles in Hewett Crescent at Franklin about 2.45am on Sunday.
When officers arrived and got out their Tasers, the documents said Beath-Williams told them, "I have a knife", before he backed away and ran off.
The documents said officers eventually apprehended Beath-Williams and found him in possession of a 10-centimetre kitchen knife, a stolen wallet and a stolen pair of Tommy Hilfiger sunglasses.
In court on Monday, legal aid lawyer Zara O'Sullivan said the 23-year-old man had a history of post-traumatic stress disorder, which led him to drink alcohol.
She said while Beath-Williams hadn't drunk since March, he had on Sunday night and that contributed to his offending.
Ms O'Sullivan noted her client didn't use the knife to harm anyone, and didn't use it to threaten police.
But Magistrate Glenn Theakston asked, "Did he not make an implied threat?"
Ms O'Sullivan said Beath-Williams only had the knife for self-defence because he had recently been assaulted, and was scared because police had Tasers.
She argued Beath-Williams should be granted conditional bail, but prosecutor Erin Priestly said the 23-year-old was sentenced for other offences only a month ago, and had a history of "significant violent offending" and breaching court orders.
Mr Theakston noted Beath-Williams was already subject to supervision by ACT Corrective Services when he allegedly committed the fresh offences.
He said the 23-year-old was also last year on an intensive correction order, which is a jail sentence served in the community.
Mr Theakston refused Beath-Williams bail, to appear in court again on October 21. The 23-year-old put his face in his hands as the magistrate made the ruling.
