July 15, 2011

Bail refused over shooting incident

By David Clarkson at Christchurch Men's Prison

Bail was refused for a 35-year-old man facing charges over a Woodend incident in which a man was shot in the leg.

Counsel for Kenn Arther Fowler, unemployed and living at Pines Beach, says the defence will allege that Fowler had been the victim of threats before the incident on July 6 and had acted in self-defence.

Fowler has spent a week in custody before making his bid for bail at a Christchurch District Court sitting inside the men?s prison today.

He first appeared at the Rangiora Court House on July 7, and was held in custody until the next day when Judge Jane Farish ordered that he remain in custody at the prison for a week so that the situation could settle down.

By then the alleged victim had undergone surgery for a bullet wound to the leg which the police said had narrowly missed his femoral artery and nearly killed him. By Fowler?s second appearance, police were able to say that the victim was out of danger.

Fowler faces charges of discharging a firearm at the other man with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and unlawful possession of a .22 rifle.

Police continued to oppose bail when Fowler appeared before Judge Stephen Erber at the prison for the bail application by defence counsel Andrew McCormick.

The judge set out his reasons for refusing bail and remanded Fowler in custody for a post-committal conference at the Rangiora Court on September 5. His reasons included police opposition to a Christchurch address for him to live at while on bail.

?Bail is declined, but the door is left open for consideration of an electronically monitored bail application, possibly at another address.?

Electronically monitored bail applications typically take about three weeks to be processed for a further hearing before a judge.