A Canberra man who barricaded two of his roommates in their northside unit brandished a knife outside the door and threatened to stab them to death, police say.
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Mackenzie Thomas Crouch, 22, is accused of aggravated burglary, assault and threatening to kill a couple he and his partner lived with.
Crouch did not enter pleas to the six charges brought against him when he faced the ACT Magistrates Court on Monday.
Police were called to the unit block after reports he refused to leave and was agitated on Sunday, September 7.
They found a woman and her two teenage daughters, one of whom was distressed and crying, in the unit block car park, court documents allege.
One of the girls, who lived at the unit with her partner, told police Crouch had threatened them and they were too scared to go back to the unit block because she was worried he would seriously hurt or kill her.
Police arrested Crouch after he grew irate and aggressive when they confronted him in the car park.
He had threatened the two girls as he cracked his neck, clenched his fists and raised them in a fight stance, police said.
Earlier that day, the couple who lived in the unit had been forced to shut themselves inside a bedroom after they came home to find the property trashed and an argument with Crouch escalated, court documents allege.
The man told police Crouch had punched through the bedroom door and brandished a knife. He then allegedly waved the knife in front of the hole and said, "Come on, I'm ready for ya [sic] to come out here."
He allegedly said: "You're not getting out without going through me first, you're going to get stabbed by me first."
The accused threatened to kill the pair and their families, police said.
The court was told Crouch's partner stood guard outside the window of the room to make sure the couple didn't escape.
She is yet to be charged.
Crouch also allegedly forced the pair to say they would not report the incident to police if he let them go. He recorded a video of their comments on a mobile phone.
Prosecutors opposed Crouch's application for bail due to concerns he would go back to the unit and act on his threats.
From the witness box, ACT Policing Constable Liam Armstrong said the incident left the couple shaken and visibly upset.
The accused admitted to police he had problems controlling his temper and had taken cannabis that day, he said.
Constable Armstrong said Crouch's pupils were "the size of pinpricks" and he suspected he had used ice.
He said a large number of syringes had been found in the unit's common areas and Crouch's bedroom, which his roommates alleged he used to inject the drug.
Crouch's defence lawyer Simon Jackson said his client was "willing to do anything", including comply with a curfew and report to police daily, if he was granted bail.
Mr Jackson pointed out his client, who declined a police interview, had not admitted to taking ice.
The court heard Crouch was on a disability pension after he injured his back at work.
He was also taking the antidepressant drug Xanax to treat agoraphobia, which is a fear of open spaces.
His parents said they were willing to put up surety and Crouch could stay with them at their Forde home if he was released from custody.
Magistrate Peter Morrison denied Crouch bail on grounds he was likely to harass or intimidate witnesses.
He also cited concerns over the defendant's drug use and his admission he struggled to control his temper at times.
Crouch's lawyer indicated he would likely enter pleas when he next faced court.
He was remanded in custody and will reappear on September 22.
