Mindum Alexander Brown: Albany man pleads guilty to string of charges, including violent BodyCare gym incident

An Albany man who went on a violent rampage through a busy gym and a Centennial Park home has pleaded guilty to a string of charges. Mindum Alexander Brown admitted assaulting and threatening to kill a BodyCare Health Club employee who tried to stop him. The 32-year-old smashed a glass door at BodyCare and damaged a computer monitor and an iPad on July 30, having earlier that day gone armed with a large piece of timber to a home in Centennial Park and damaged the front door. Appearing in Albany Magistrates Court on Tuesday via video link from Casuarina Prison, Mr Brown pleaded guilty to 11 charges. The charges included multiple counts of criminal damage and assault, being armed, threatening to kill, failing to comply with reporting obligations, breaching bail, and aggravated home burglary. Police prosecutor Sgt Warrick Walker applied to have several of the charges heard at the District Court. However, defence counsel Georgia Herford requested that only the aggravated home burglary — a strictly indictable offence — and one count of criminal damage be moved up. Magistrate Erin O’Donnell conceded that Mr Brown’s actions on July 30 were a “spree which might well have been inspired by the one catalyst” and committed only the aggravated home burglary and one count of criminal damage to the Albany District Court. In addition to the guilty pleas, Mr Brown pleaded not guilty to eight charges. These included criminal damage, being armed within a licensed premises, disorderly behaviour in public, and impeding a person’s normal breathing by applying pressure to their neck. Three of the charges related to an alleged incident at The Albany Hotel on June 21. It was claimed that Mr Brown was asked to leave the hotel and returned within 24 hours, and was found to be armed with two table knives. Four of the charges, including impeding another person’s normal breathing and threatening to kill them, allegedly related to the same complainant, Mr Brown’s former partner. It was claimed her young child witnessed the alleged offending. The eighth charged that he denied related to an allegation of criminal damage in Mt Barker on July 23. Mr Brown will appear in the sentence mention list in Albany District Court on April 1. His other charges will be listed for mention and a trial allocation date in Albany Magistrates Court on January 27.