MATTHEWS Lane area leader Donald “Zeeks” Phipps was yesterday denied bail when he appeared in the Half-Way-Tree Court to answer to charges of unlawful possession of $18 million and abstraction of electricity.

Phipps’ attorney K Churchill Neita QC put in a lengthy and impassioned bail application on behalf of his client, but the magistrate turned down the application.

“The prosecution will have difficulty to establish my client’s unlawful possession of the money because he was not at the house at the time of its discovery,” Neita said.

“Should we accept that my client did have the money, because anyone can own money, it cannot be a cause of suspicion for unlawful possession that one has a large sum of money.”

The attorney also spoke of his client’s character and philanthropic activities within his community.

Resident Magistrate Georgiana Fraser, who presided over the matter, denied the bail application on the grounds that other offences had been allegedly committed by Phipps when he had been granted bail on other charges last year.

Phipps was arrested last year after police raided his Matthews Lane stronghold and found 26 rounds of .45 ammunition, two pounds of cured ganja and controlled pharmaceuticals. He was charged with illegal possession of ammunition, unlawful possession of pharmaceuticals and possession of two pounds of ganja. Phipps was arrested for the charges, but was re-arrested in May and charged with the double murder of Dayton ‘Scotchbrite’ Williams and Rodney Farquharson.

According to police reports, both men were shot in the head and had their bodies burnt, then taken to a lot in Rose Lane where they were set on fire.

Phipps is set to face trial for the unlawful possession of the money and abstraction of electricity on November 9. He will face trial for the illegal possession of ammunition, unlawful possession of pharmaceuticals and possession of two pounds of ganja on November 15.