Tarkyn Desmond Ward: Gnowangerup man who allegedly attacked brother with bottle in home refused bail

A Gnowangerup man accused of attacking and severely injuring his older brother with an empty beer bottle has been denied bail in Albany Magistrates Court. Tarkyn Desmond Ward, 24, appeared before the court on Thursday July 24 via video link from Albany Regional Prison, charged with grievous bodily harm with intent. Police prosecutor Sgt Gary Simpson said Mr Ward had been with his brother in a Gnowangerup home when they started arguing, and that quickly escalated to a fight. He said Mr Ward struck the victim repeatedly over the head with an empty beer bottle, and stabbed him with the same bottle when it broke into pieces. Another person in the house at the time called the police, and Mr Ward was arrested at the scene. Sgt Simpson said Mr Ward had admitted on body-worn camera that he had felt overwhelmingly intimidated by his brother, and felt the only way to get out of how he felt was to kill him. The victim was taken to a Perth hospital for treatment on deep cuts along his head, back, and arm, as well as several smaller cuts and bruises on his body. Defence counsel Kyah Langdon applied for bail on Mr Ward’s behalf, saying her client had another address in Cranbrook he could live at while on bail. Ms Langdon said the distance separating Mr Ward and the victim in Gnowangerup could alleviate some of the court’s concerns about re-offending. Sgt Simpson handed photographs of the victim’s injuries forward to the magistrate, including the seriousness of the victim’s injuries and Mr Ward’s admission to his intent to seriously hurt his brother on camera in his summary of the prosecution’s opposition to bail. Magistrate Tanya Watt called it an “overwhelming” case, saying even with bail conditions for Mr Ward not to enter the town of Gnowangerup, she would remain “very concerned” for the victim’s safety. Mr Ward was refused bail and is due in Albany Magistrates Court again on August 26.