Father-and-son fugitives Gino and Mark Stocco have been refused bail and will be remanded in custody until next year after being charged with murder -- among more than 30 other charges so far.
The pair were mentioned in Dubbo Local Court on Thursday morning but did not appear. Their lawyer did not apply for bail and the Stoccos were ordered to remain in custody until their next court appearance in mid-January, 2016.
NSW Police tracked the pair to a rural property at Elong Elong, near Dubbo NSW, just before midday on Wednesday. The father and son were found at the property, named Pinevale, on Tonniges Road following an operation involving a range of local and specialist police units.
Police later said they found a body on the property, believed to be that of Pinevale's caretaker, a 68-year-old man who was reported missing on October 8. Fairfax Media reported the Stoccos had recently worked at Pinevale with the property's caretaker, and that the body found was "fairly decomposed."
The Stoccos were taken into custody on Wednesday after eight years on the run, with television cameras capturing images of the pair sporting bloody noses and bruised faces. Acting Assistant Commissioner Clint Pheeney claimed the pair "did not surrender to police or hand themselves in," saying their injuries were due to resisting police.
Mark Stocco in police custody
"There was some resistance to the arrest and as a result of the arrest some minor injuries, which are still being assessed at Dubbo Base Hospital," he said on Wednesday.
The pair have since been charged with more than 30 offences between them, including murder, police pursuit, shoot at with intent to murder, dishonestly obtain property by deception, possess unauthorised firearm and discharge firearm with intent to resist arrest. Police say further charges, including those allegedly committed interstate, are also expected to be laid.
Both were formally refused bail to appear before Dubbo Local Court on Thursday.
Fairfax Media tracked down Peter Stocco, father to Gino and grandfather to Mark, who claimed the pair's alleged crime rampage had been sparked by the breakdown of Gino's marriage in the early 2000s.
Gino and Mark, aged 57 and 36 respectively, have evaded police around the country for almost a decade, but came back into the headlines last week after allegedly shooting at NSW police during a high-speed chase near Wagga Wagga.
Elong Elong, where the pair were caught, is about 30 minutes north-east of Dubbo in central NSW.
7 News reported police were told the Stocco's location on Tuesday.
The Stoccos had allegedly been spotted almost 1000 kilometres south of Elong Elong, in the Victorian town of Sale, in recent days.
They had avoided capture since the Wagga shoot-out by allegedly stealing cars and petrol, stealing and swapping multiple licence plates, changing their appearances and staying on the move. We put together this explainer earlier in the week.
The Hunt For The Stoccos
- Friday Oct 16: Stoccos allegedly shoot at police near Wagga Wagga
- Sunday Oct 18: Landcruiser with rego BV70WP stolen at Little Billabong near Holbrook
- Monday Oct 19: Confirmed sighting at Euroa
- Tuesday Oct 20: 3 rego plates stolen from Tumbarumba caravan park
- Wednesday Oct 21: Landcruiser sighted in Bairnsdale, CCTV identifies pair at supermarket
- Thursday Oct 22: Landcruiser rams police vehicle near St James, possible sighting on Melba highway
- Saturday Oct 24: 150 litres of fuel stolen from petrol station at Gundagai, possible sighting Hagans Road Stratford
Earlier on Wednesday, the Wagga Wagga Daily Advertiser claimed the pair had been spotted buying sandwiches and coffee at a store in Hillston, NSW. This report was not confirmed.
The duo had been described by police as "modern day bushrangers".
They were wanted in relation to a number of violent crimes across rural Australia, allegedly robbing or vandalising a number of properties.