The Supreme Court refused bail for an applicant charged with multiple counts of commercial cannabis cultivation, finding exceptional circumstances under s 4A of the Bail Act 1977 (Vic) were not established. The Court held that the high seriousness of the alleged offending (complicity in 21 crop houses), the strength of the prosecution case (including admissions to undercover operatives describing himself as a 'bypass expert'), and the likelihood that any sentence upon conviction would substantially exceed time on remand collectively outweighed factors favouring bail, including limited criminal history, family support, a $1,000,000 bail guarantee, and ties to the jurisdiction. The Court also noted that the efficacy of the bail guarantee was undermined by the strained family relationships and the existence of a family violence intervention order against the applicant.
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