Jerry Aniseto Masipau: Man accused of striking former politician Barry Urban applies for home detention bail

A man accused of striking disgraced politician Barry Urban at the alleged victim’s tyre shop, leaving him with life-threatening injuries, has made a bid for home detention bail. Jerry Aniseto Masipau, 25, faced Armadale Magistrates Court on Thursday morning from Casuarina Prison on five charges relating to an alleged November incident looking to apply for bail. Police allege Mr Masipau drove to a Kelmscott tyre shop where Mr Urban worked — and which he was allegedly a client of — on the afternoon of November 26 and got into an argument with Mr Urban. It is then alleged the accused struck Mr Urban once on the right side of his head, causing Mr Urban to fall and hit his head on the ground outside the shop. According to prosecutors, Mr Urban suffered a fractured skull and required “life-saving” surgery to relieve pressure on his brain and he could initially not feel or move the right side of his body due to the “severe brain injury”. The court was told Mr Urban has now been moved from the intensive care unit on January 2 but remains in hospital. Mr Masipau’s lawyer argued the accused should be given bail because of the lengthy period he would likely be in custody as the case went on. Prosecutors opposed bail however, who argued the accused was a flight risk due to his New Zealand citizenship, having been in Western Australia since April 2024. While the lawyer for Mr Masipau admitted the police presented an “undoubtedly strong case” he did argue once the accused surrendered his passport he would not be a flight risk and only had a minor driving related criminal record. He argued Mr Masipau had a “very strong connection” to the State and had a large contingent of around 10 family members in the courtroom. Magistrate Rosemarie Myers ordered a home detention report which will be presented in Armadale Magistrates Court on January 30. During the hearing it was also decided Mr Masipau would need an interpreter as his first language was Samoan and he only spoke limited English.