A dangerous criminal released from jail a month ago is back behind bars tonight amid allegations he hunted down the man responsible for his incarceration and threatened him with a gun outside a suburban Illawarra shopping centre.
Mason Evans, 22, handed himself in to police on Tuesday morning, four days after detectives launched a public appeal via the media to help locate him on outstanding warrants.
In a chilling set of allegations aired in court, Evans is accused of embarking on a course of predatory and intimidating behaviour towards the victim, who gave evidence against him in a recent district court trial.
Court documents reveal Evans had been in a relationship with the man’s step-daughter, however their romance ended poorly in October 2016, resulting in a fight between the victim and Evans in which the victim was stabbed.
Evans was charged and remanded in custody for almost a year, however was acquitted at trial and subsequently released from custody in September.
Court documents said the victim and his ex-police officer wife were picking up groceries from the Koonawarra shops on the afternoon of October 3 when the pair spotted Evans standing outside a nearby takeaway shop.
Evans immediately noticed the pair and stuck his finger up at the man, allegedly saying “f--- you, I got out you dog, I got found not guilty” before threatening to stab him “again”.
It is alleged Evans then lifted the back of his shirt slightly to reveal the handle of a gun tucked into his waistband.
The man and his wife quickly got into their car and drove up the road before pulling over at a bus stop, later telling police they didn’t want Evans to follow them home.
Evans got into a car being driven by a second man and followed the pair up the road. It is alleged the pursuing car drove directly towards the couple’s parked vehicle and only swerved at the last moment to avoid a collision, as Evans yelled towards them.
They drove straight to Lake Illawarra Police Station to report the incident.
Meantime, police allege Evans harassed and intimidated the couple again less than a week later, this time outside their home.
Court documents reveal Evans is accused of stealing a friend’s $25,000 Holden SSV at knife-point in the early hours of October 8 before heading to the victim’s house just before noon the same day and performing multiple burnouts in front of the house.
It is alleged Evans, who was in the passenger’s seat at the time, was pointing a shortened shotgun through the open car window at the couple’s house during the incident.
Police opposed Evans’ bail application in court on Tuesday, fearing he would endanger the community and the victim if released.
“The nature of the offences the accused is charged with are considered to be at the upper level of seriousness,” investigating officers wrote in a statement tendered in court.
“The accused’s behaviour...is escalating to a point where he is a real danger to the victim.”
Defence lawyer Danny Lagopodis said Evans denied the allegations against him and would agree to abide by strict bail conditions if released.
Magistrate Chris McRobert refused bail and adjourned the case to next month for mention.
