Magistrate Kieran Gilligan blasted for bailing police shooting accused

Published by the Herald Sun on 27 May 2020

Serious concerns about safety have been raised by the police association after a man who allegedly shot at officers outside Sunbury McDonald’s was granted bail.

The police union has blasted a magistrate for bailing a man charged over a terrifying police shooting.

Cruz Noonan, 19, walked free from custody on Wednesday over his alleged role in the shooting outside Sunbury McDonald’s last August.

Police Association Secretary Wayne Gatt said the decision was reckless and put lives at risk.

“We are concerned that when people go out of their way to allegedly harm police in circumstances of violence and are released they, generally speaking, could do far worse to the general community than what they do to police,” Mr Gatt said.

“Bail should be considered in only the most sparing of circumstances.”

Police were forced to take cover inside the McDonald’s outlet after their divisional van was allegedly shot at from a silver sedan in Horne St, Sunbury at 3.15am on August 13, 2019.

Two officers called in as back up were also allegedly shot at and their van rammed before the sedan sped away.

Cruz Noonan, Joel Papa and Brandon Tate Foon were arrested by the Special Operations Group and Air Wing.

Magistrate Kieran Gilligan on Wednesday granted bail to Noonan for reasons including his youth, limited criminal history, rehabilitation prospects and delays caused by COVID-19.

A bail application by his co-accused Papa, 27, was refused at the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court hearing and it is understood police have dropped charges against Foon.

Noonan and Papa are both facing firearm and reckless conduct charges.

Papa is also facing retention of stolen goods, commit indictable offence on bail charges.

The pair will return to court for committal on October 14.