Denzel Matthew Trevor John Egan: Robbery accused targets lone man searching for scrap metal in Rangeway

A man alone at night in Rangeway has been assaulted and searched by two men, with one man accused of stealing his bank cards and later making fraudulent purchases with his girlfriend at a service station. The 27-year-old accused of the violent robbery, Denzel Matthew Trevor John Egan, appeared in Geraldton Magistrates Court from custody on Thursday, on an arrest warrant issued for failing to appear in court. Egan is charged with aggravated robbery and driving without a licence, to which he did not enter pleas . On Friday night, June 14, the court heard a man rode his bicycle to an address in Rangeway where he was alone searching for scrap metal in a skip bin. The man left his bike out of the way while he searched. Police prosecutor Sgt Ross Gray said Mr Egan and a co-accused approached him and asked what was in his pocket, to which the man said he had nothing. Sgt Gray said the accused punched the man to the face and searched through his front jumper pocket, stealing a packet of cigarettes and his wallet containing bank cards. The man received a laceration to his face. The court heard Mr Egan allegedly stole the black bike and rode away. About 5.50am, Sgt Gray said Mr Egan was captured on CCTV at Ampol Foodary with his girlfriend, where she made a number of fraudulent transactions with the card. Mr Egan’s defence lawyer put forward a bail proposal, but magistrate Angus Hockton did not consider it, noting the accused had a lengthy history of failing to comply with court orders and bail conditions. “Every page of his record is littered with breaches … he’s told to do things, and he doesn’t do them,” he said. Mr Egan was remanded in custody to reappear on July 25.