A businessman who police say was involved in a brazen abduction attempt outside a Canberra cafe has been refused bail, as his family wept in court.
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Jamie Stewart Graham, 49, appeared by phone in the ACT Magistrates Court on Monday.
He pleaded not guilty to four charges: aggravated robbery, intentionally inflicting grievous bodily harm, theft, and attempting to forcibly confine someone.
The charges arise from what police have described as an abduction attempt outside Latham shops last Friday. They say Mr Graham and another man spotted their victim at a nearby oval, before they followed him to the shops where he sought refuge in a cafe and told the owner to call police.
Prosecutor Madison Fieldus on Monday said Mr Graham had previously threatened the man who allegedly owed him a drug debt, but what happened next was a "wildly disproportionate response".
She said Mr Graham and his co-offender ultimately entered the cafe about 9.20am, where the co-offender allegedly attempted to drag the victim, punched him, kicked him and stomped on him.
Ms Fieldus said Mr Graham held the victim down, struck him and took his phone.
She said after Mr Graham dragged the man from the cafe, the duo attempted to tie him up and force him into the tray of a ute; apparently undeterred by a number of surrounding witnesses.
"[Witnesses said:] 'Stop. What are you doing? I have children here. This is really scary for us'," Ms Fieldus said.
Mr Graham and his co-offender allegedly fled the scene. Ms Fieldus said their victim was taken to Canberra Hospital in a critical condition, and remained there in intensive care as of Monday, having sustained a collapsed lung and a fractured ankle.
She said he was in a serious but stable condition.
Ms Fieldus, in arguing against Mr Graham being granted bail, said the facts of the case spoke "for themselves" and he was accused of a violent and sustained course of conduct.
Defence lawyer Andrew Byrnes questioned whether Mr Graham's alleged offending met the threshold for some of the charges.
He said Mr Graham had recently pulled the pin on his drone business - listed on Facebook as Capital Remote Aviation Pty Ltd - but his family still relied on him financially, as he was looking for work or could possibly start another business.
Mr Byrnes said his client categorically denied police's suggestion he was at the top of a cannabis supply ring.
Magistrate Beth Campbell refused Mr Graham bail, noting the Spence man was accused of "appalling acts of gratuitous violence in a public place with a number of witnesses".
Mr Graham is next due in court on October 20.