![Witness says accused was 'slobbering like a mad idiot' Witness says accused was 'slobbering like a mad idiot'](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/UXkRwrLedzicw8iY4DcGSg/1b2de06c-d206-4b71-b5df-cba482d8ef3b.jpg/r0_309_5876_3614_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
A Rocherlea man told a jury that he was confronted by a man "mumbling and slobbering like a mad idiot" at his home in 2019.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Albert William George, now 76, was giving evidence in the trial of Jackson Cooper Cadman of Mayfield.
Mr Cadman has pleaded not guilty to aggravated burglary, armed robbery, stealing and three counts of unlawfully setting fire to property on November 23-24, 2019.
Mr George said he knew Mr Cadman through his father when they visited each other's homes to watch boxing on Austar. He said they fell out when he was wrongly accused of stealing Mr Cadman's marijuana plants.
He said Mr Cadman arrived at his back door holding a brick in each hand.
He told crown prosecutor Felicity Radin that Mr Cadman pushed him across the top of a chair onto the floor and then looked through his house for cash.
Mr George said Mr Cadman threatened to stab and shoot him and pulled the cord for a telephone landline out of the wall.
"He comes at me and sent me over the chairs," he said.
He said Mr Cadman stole $200 cash he had in a tin in a drawer and a Stihl chainsaw from a spare room.
He said Mr Cadman then went to his $4000, maroon Ford Falcon and drove it "like a bloody maniac" out of his driveway, stopping to let Mr George's dog out of the car.
Ms Radin said it was the crown case that Mr Cadman then drove to Lefroy, where he crashed through a fence before travelling to Australian Defence Force land at Stoney Head, where he set the car on fire and caused a further 500 ha of bush and grass to be burnt.
She said that a helicopter pilot would give evidence that he saw a second fire and saw a man on the beach waving his arms.
He said he landed and picked up a sunburned and shirtless Mr Cadman, who said: "No c--- would give me a lift.".
Defence lawyer Julia Ker and Mr George clashed several times during cross-examination when she challenged his version of events and asked him about his two convictions for drug trafficking in 2017 and 2018.
When she suggested that he invited Mr Cadman to his house and offered him money to burn his vehicle so that he could claim insurance, he said, "You're an idiot", and accused her of making up rubbish.
Justice Robert Pearce told Mr George to be courteous and respond to the questions.
Mr George said that he had been given a message that if Mr Cadman went to jail, there was a bullet with his number on it.
When Ms Ker suggested that he had previously lent his car to Mr Cadman, he responded: "I suggest you are making that up."
The trial continues on Tuesday.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Bookmark www.examiner.com.au
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter: @examineronline
- Follow us on Instagram: @examineronline
- Follow us on Google News: The Examiner