Richmond AFL premiership player Marlion Pickett has been granted bail after allegedly carrying out burglaries on commercial properties in which more than $380,000 was stolen.

Pickett, 31, faced Perth Magistrates Court on a string of charges, including aggravated burglary, stealing and criminal damage.

He is facing 12 charges, which date back to December and January last year during the AFL off season.

The offences are alleged to have happened in the Perth suburbs of Girrawheen and Beechboro as well as at Beverley, east of the city and Bindoon north of Perth.

Alleged robbery involved campervan

The court was told the charges relate to burglaries on what were described as commercial properties, in which a total of more than $380,000 in Australian and foreign currency was stolen.

The police prosecutor said it would be alleged a campervan was hired in Pickett’s name, which was then driven interstate and along the way, sums of $6,000 and $9,000 were deposited into his bank account.

It was also alleged Pickett had purchased some of the clothing that he is alleged to have been seen wearing in CCTV footage from the incidents.

The court was told told Pickett has a record of committing similar crimes and served a two-and-a-half-year jail term around 2010 and 2011.

No DNA linking Pickett to crime: defence

Pickett’s lawyer David Manera said there was no forensic evidence, such as DNA or fingerprints, linking him to the alleged offences.

Mr Manera described the 31-year-old as “very, very well thought of by the Richmond club and the playing group”, telling the court he was a paid mentor for young, Indigenous players at the club.

Mr Manera highlighted that his client had come to Perth knowing that police wanted to speak to him and after Saturday night’s game, he had not returned to Melbourne with his teammates.

Instead, he attended a pre-arranged appointment at the Midland Police Station, which Mr Manera said he knew about “days” beforehand.

“He let the team fly back at midnight and he stayed behind to meet with the police,” he said.

Lawyer ‘surprised’ Pickett not released earlier

Pickett spent Sunday night in custody after being arrested by WA Police just hours after helping the Tigers cause an upset 15-point win over the Fremantle Dockers at Perth Stadium.

Mr Manera said he was surprised Pickett was not released straight from the police station.

“I was surprised because they’ve got the option of releasing him from the police station and with a person with his record, and most importantly a massive gap in criminal offending, I would’ve thought it was appropriate to release him straight from the police station,” he said.

He described the prosecution’s case as “circumstantial”.

“Doesn’t mean it’s a weak case, doesn’t mean it’s a strong case,” Mr Manera said.

Pickett not ‘significant flight risk’

Magistrate Erin O’Donnell noted Pickett had a significant criminal record, but she said it dated back more than a decade with there being only one further offence, in 2016, for possessing unlawfully obtained property, for which he received a fine.

She said she could not at this stage conclude the case against Pickett was overwhelming, and while the alleged offences were serious, she did not consider him to be a “significant flight risk.”

The magistrate said she was satisfied she could impose bail conditions that would address any concerns, including Pickett having to report to police in Melbourne once a week, and banning him from having contact with his co-accused.

Pickett spoke only to confirm his name before his bail was set at $50,000 with a similar surety, and his case was adjourned until August.

Richmond stands behind Pickett

In a statement, the Richmond Football Club said it “would continue to support Marlion and his family while these matters are dealt with”.

His Perth-based manager Anthony Van Der Wielen said the two-time premiership player intended to defend himself against the charges.

“Due to the ongoing legal nature of the proceedings, Marlion, or myself will not be able to provide any further details, comment or clarification about the matter at this stage,” Mr Van Der Wielen said in a statement.

“We understand and respect the public’s interest in this matter, but we also implore all to respect the presumption of innocence until proven otherwise, and to allow the legal proceedings to follow their due course without prejudice.”

Pickett has played 70 games for the Richmond Tigers.

He made his debut in the 2019 AFL grand final-winning side and he was also part of club’s 2020 premiership team.

Source: AFL NEWS ABC