A MAN accused of dealing large amounts of drugs was asleep in his underwear when he woke to his door being kicked in and grabbed knives to arm himself, a court has heard.
Jason Robert McAlister has been behind bars since specialist anti-bikie police from the force's Raptor Squad swooped on a Gillieston Heights home just after 6am on April 30 and ultimately fired a shot.
His defence solicitor made a bid for McAlister's release on bail in Newcastle Local Court on Tuesday, claiming he needed to be in the community to try to conceive a child with his long-term partner.
The defence solicitor said there was an issue about whether the 26-year-old accused knew it was police officers who had busted into his home.
"Police come in the early hours of the morning, the applicant is asleep in his underwear, police go in and knock the door down - they do yell," the lawyer said.
"He comes around the corner carrying a knife, or knives, and police are yelling, and they do say 'drop the knife' and they fire a shot ... and he drops the knife.
"He doesn't actually use the knife, he just carries it."
The bullet, fired by one of the Raptor Squad officers from their police-issue gun, did not hit McAlister and no one was injured.
Police arrested McAlister and asked him why he came out with a knife.
"Cuz I didn't know who was kicking my door in," he replied, the court heard.
The Raptor Squad had zeroed in on McAlister after discovering messages on encrypted service Signal during a separate investigation, which allegedly revealed him and another man discussing drugs.
"They refer to pounds, there are photos of boxes of cannabis ... it is coded language," the solicitor said.
"It is difficult to estimate with any precision the actual amounts."
He argued that no drugs were found by police, or evidence of supply, and the prosecution relied on those messages.
The defence lawyer told the court McAlister was involved in the local Muay Thai community, had employment and needed to be out in the community with family, who were struggling without his income.
He said "extremely strong bail conditions" including "virtual house arrest" had been offered to mitigate any concerns.
The police prosecutor told the court McAlister had not shown cause to be released on bail.
He said the alleged offending involved "large amounts" of money and drugs which put the community at risk and carried significant jail sentences if convicted.
"When police raided the house is when the [alleged] offending ultimately came to an end, that is a concern," the sergeant said.
Written submissions were handed up to Magistrate Ian Cheetham, who adjourned the matter to Friday to hand down his decision.
McAlister remains behind bars while he waits to find out the outcome of his bail application.
He has not had to enter pleas to charges of supplying a commercial quantity of a prohibited drug, supplying a pistol, participating in a criminal group, using an offensive weapon with intent, and using an offensive weapon to prevent a police investigation.
McAlister was arrested by Strike Force Stranraer police, the squad investigating alleged drug and firearm crime across Maitland and West Ryde.
Strike Force Stranraer was established in May last year by the State Crime Command's Raptor Squad and has arrested at least a dozen people so far.
