AN AMATEUR fighter accused of supplying more than 60 kilograms of cannabis has had his bail bid shot down in court after details of his dramatic arrest were detailed.
Jason Robert McAlister has been behind bars since specialist anti-bikie police from the Raptor Squad swooped on a Gillieston Heights home just before 6.30am on April 30 and ultimately fired a gun.
Magistrate Ian Cheetham heard a bail application in Newcastle Local Court earlier this week and handed down his decision on Friday to refuse McAlister's release.
Mr Cheetham laid bare the allegations against the 26-year-old man and said the prosecution case against him was not weak.
The court heard police had uncovered more than 750 messages on Signal, an encrypted service, between McAlister and another man, which allegedly related to the supply of drugs and a firearm.
Mr Cheetham said McAlister had allegedly paid "large sums of money" to buy cannabis across about 30 transactions, which he then on-sold.
He said the messages between the men appeared to be "coded" but without much "sophistication".
McAlister faces charges of supplying no less than a commercial amount of a prohibited drug, relating to 60.22 kilograms of cannabis, and supplying a pistol.
He also faces charges of participating in a criminal group, using an offensive weapon with intent, and using an offensive weapon to prevent a police investigation.
A specialist squad investigating drug supply - codenamed Strike Force Stranraer - zeroed in on McAlister.
The court previously heard McAlister claimed he was asleep in his underwear and woke to someone "kicking in my door", so grabbed two knives to arm himself, not knowing who it was.
Mr Cheetham said the prosecution case was that police were uniformed and announced themselves as they entered, before McAlister "continued to advance towards police" while carrying the knives.
A strike force officer discharged his police-issue gun, but the bullet did not hit McAlister and no one was injured.
Mr Cheetham said he took into account the fact McAlister and his partner wanted to try and conceive a child, that he was active in the Muay Thai community, had casual employment and had somewhere to live.
He said there was a risk that McAlister could endanger the community if he was granted bail, could commit other serious offences and noted his alleged "association with criminal groups".
"A full time custodial sentence is inevitable if he is convicted of these offences," he told the court.
McAlister was remanded in custody and ordered to front Newcastle Local Court again in August via video link.
He has not been required to enter pleas to any of the charges against him.
Strike Force Stranraer was established in May last year by the State Crime Command's Raptor Squad to investigate drug and firearm crime in Maitland and West Ryde, and has arrested at least a dozen people so far.
