Richmond Tigers two-time premiership player Marlion Pickett has been granted bail after being charged over a series of alleged burglaries valued at more than $380,000.
The 31-year-old faced Perth Magistrates Court on Monday morning on 12 charges, which are alleged to have occurred between December 2022 and January 2023.
Per the ABC, the court heard the charges involved burglaries on commercial properties, which resulted in more than $380,000 in Australian and foreign currencies being stolen from within safes.
Police allege a campervan hired under Pickett’s name was used to transport stolen goods interstate, with sums of $6000 and $8000 deposited into the footballer’s bank account along the journey.
As reported by the Herald Sun, the alleged offences happened in the Perth suburbs of Girrawheen and Beechboro, as well as the country towns of Beverley and Bindoon.
Pickett’s lawyer David Manera said there is no DNA or fingerprints connecting him to the alleged incidents and described the prosecution’s case as “circumstantial”, per the ABC.
The Australian Associated Press reported that Magistrate Erin O’Donnell acknowledged the seriousness of the allegations, but the footballer did not present a “significant flight risk”.
She said if Pickett was found guilty, he’d likely face prison time, per the Herald Sun.
Pickett was granted bail on the condition he resides at his address in Melbourne, has no contact with his co-accused, reports to the police once a week and provides a personal surety of $50,000.
Hours after Pickett’s arrest on Sunday, his manager Anthony Van Der Wielen told The Age he has “a strong intent to defend himself against the charges”.
“Due to the ongoing legal nature of the proceedings, Marlion, or myself, will not be able to be able to provide any further details, comment or clarification about the matter at this stage,” he said.
“We understand and respect the public’s interest in this matter, but we also implore all to respect presumption of innocence until proven otherwise and to allow the legal proceedings to follow their due course without prejudice.”
The WA-born footballer was in Perth over the weekend for the Tigers’ win against the Fremantle Dockers on Saturday night.
Pickett will face court again in August.
Image credit: Getty Images / Paul Kane