The man at the center of a viral firestorm that outraged a nation—businessman Robert Bell—was denied bail when he appeared in the Gun Court on Wednesday, with Senior Puisne Judge Lorna Shelly Williams citing “concerns for his safety” due to public backlash over the incident. Bell is facing multiple serious charges including assault occasioning actual bodily harm, assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, assault at common law, possessing a firearm with intent to commit a first schedule offence, and possession of a firearm with intent to cause injuries.
The charges stem from a brutal May 13 altercation on Mount Airy Road, where Bell was seen in a now-viral video allegedly stomping on the head of a female nurse while brandishing what appears to be a firearm. The footage triggered nationwide condemnation, with Minister of Gender Affairs Olivia Grange calling the attacker “a bully, a coward and a brute,” adding, “There is no excuse for abuse… he must face the full weight of the law.” Bell’s attorney, Christopher Townsend, had argued for his release on the grounds of community standing and the fact that Bell was about to turn himself in when arrested. However, the court stood firm, and the case is set to resume on July 9.
