Phillip Aaron Dodd: Alleged fugitive reads letter to Geraldton court, denies being high-risk repeat offender

A Geraldton fugitive who allegedly led police on a 2½-week manhunt after twice removing his tracking device while on bail, claimed in court he took issue with being labelled a “high-risk repeat offender”. On Monday, Phillip Aaron Dodd — accused of serious family and domestic violence crimes — appeared in Geraldton Magistrates Court via video link from prison for legal advice on 14 charges including failure to comply with an electronic monitoring direction and interfering with monitoring equipment. Mr Dodd, 36, was previously released on bail on January 23 after appearing on domestic violence charges including allegedly threatening to chop his partner up with a machete, striking her with the weapon’s blunt edge and punching her. It is alleged he breached his electronic monitoring conditions on January 29 and was brought back before the courts. But he was released again under the same bail conditions. Mr Dodd then allegedly again removed his monitoring device on January 31 and evaded police for 2½ weeks, with police searching Geraldton and Perth, before officers ultimately arrested him after they found him hiding in a kitchen cupboard in a Utakarra home on February 17. During court proceedings on Monday, Mr Dodd asked magistrate Matthew Walton if he could read out a letter he had written to the court regarding bail and his treatment. In the letter, Mr Dodd said he “takes full responsibility for his actions” but was upset with his treatment in prison and did not want to be portrayed as a repeat offender. “I am trying to bridge the gap. I have post-traumatic stress disorder and adult community corrections have put an exclusion zone surrounding the services I need to get treatment,” he said. “I am not a repeat offender, and I should not be seen or treated as a high-risk repeat offender.” Mr Walton stated he remembered Mr Dodd and the circumstances surrounding his court appearance. “You removed your electronic monitoring device and were on the run for some period of time after I granted you bail — twice,” Mr Walton said. Mr Walton did not address Mr Dodd’s statement and put the matters through to August 4, when other charges regarding Mr Dodd are also to be heard. Mr Dodd was remanded in custody.