There was a break-and-enter at the Loaded Dog Hotel in Tarago on 24 June 2026. Photo: Tenele Conway.
A court has heard the second man accused of bungling a burglary at a rural NSW pub “scarpered” from Canberra Hospital with a broken back before police tracked him down.
But after the 42-year-old was arrested, he said he wanted to stay in the ACT, partly to support his grandmother while she was in hospital, instead of being extradited to face the allegations.
Despite his desires, he was ordered to be taken to NSW and is soon expected to be charged alongside his co-accused, 38-year-old Canberra man Cam Massey.
Police previously alleged two men broke into the Loaded Dog Hotel in Tarago, a town between Canberra and Goulburn, early on the morning of 24 June 2026.
They allegedly wrapped straps around an ATM, attached them to their white hatchback, and tried to pull the ATM out of the pub. But they failed to steal the ATM and drove off.
They then allegedly broke into a home in the nearby rural locality of Tirrannaville before crashing their car between Bungendore and Braidwood.
Massey and the 42-year-old man were arrested at the scene. The former was charged with two counts of entering a dwelling with intent.
The 42-year-old, who has not been named as he is yet to formally face his charges in NSW’s courts, underwent major surgery, including to his spine.
He had eight different fractures, including two to his spine, as well as a staph infection.
ACT Magistrate Glenn Theakston granted him bail to remain in hospital, provided he presented himself to the ACT Courthouse as soon as possible if he was discharged.
But the ACT Magistrates Court heard the man self-discharged from hospital on Friday night (3 July) then didn’t go to the courthouse, allegedly breaking this bail condition. A warrant was then issued for his arrest.
Police caught up with him and then brought him to court on Thursday (9 July), where he was seen with his arm in a sling. He was charged with one count of failing to appear in court.
Prosecutor Taden Kelliher said the man had “clearly disobeyed” the leniency granted to him by Magistrate Theakston and had “scarpered” from the hospital.
Magistrate Jane Campbell said she thought her two options were to grant the man bail so he could present himself to the authorities in NSW, or to release him into the custody of NSW Police.
But the man’s lawyer, Eimear Silk of Legal Aid, suggested there was a third option. She applied for bail and opposed the extradition application, saying that, as her client now had a charge of failing to appear in court in the ACT, he wanted to stay in the Territory to deal with that matter before being extradited to NSW.
Ms Silk said her client self-discharged from hospital so he could go to a residential rehabilitation facility.
“I mean that’s all well and good, but he’s breached his bail,” Magistrate Campbell said.
The court heard other reasons why the man wanted bail were that his grandmother had been admitted to hospital on the weekend – to which he spoke up to say he had visited her there. Also, his daughter was 36 weeks’ pregnant and was about to give birth.
But Magistrate Campbell ordered the man to be extradited to NSW to face the burglary allegations, then adjourned the failure to appear charge to the Magistrates Court on 20 October.
The court heard that the man was likely to face the NSW Local Court on Friday (10 July).
Massey remains in custody and will face court again in September.
Original Article published by Albert McKnight on Region Canberra.
