Court battle over bail breach claims A MAN who fought 15 times to get bail, then allegedly breached it in less than 10 days, has again appeared in court to fight for his freedom. Thomas Kotzmann, 46, has been held in custody since his arrest by police in June after he allegedly skipped bail and went on the run. He had been bailed just nine days earlier following his 15th self-represented bail application on charges he stood over a couple for $20,000 debt. Police say he and a co-accused assaulted a Templestowe man and threatened to burn his home down over the debt in February 2012. It is alleged Mr Kotzmann forced the man to hand over a cache of weapons worth $16,000 that he said he would return when the debt was repaid. Police later searched a home in Viewbank they believed Mr Kotzmann to be staying in and found the alleged victim's weapons and a sawn off shot gun, it is alleged. Mr Kotzmann was charged and held in custody for 15 months before being released on bail in May last year. But police allege he breached several of his strict parole conditions, including tough reporting requirements, almost immediately after being freed. They say he went on the run for three weeks before he was arrested and remanded in custody. It is alleged on his arrest Mr Kotzmann was carrying a bag that contained a balaclava, crow bar, gloves and screwdrivers. He has made a string of bail applications since and appeared at the Melbourne Magistrates Court again for another attempt at freedom. Representing himself again Mr Kotzmann spent more than an hour and a half cross-examining police and making legal submissions before withdrawing his application. Mr Kotzmann told the court the alleged victims at the centre of the charges he faced had ripped off dozens of people to about $800,000. ``The victims were shonks, they owed many people hundreds of thousands of dollars while they drove around in Mercedes and had kids in private schools," he told Magistrate Duncan Reynolds. When quizzed about his ``standover tactics" he told Mr Reynolds ``there's no regulation on debt collecting in Victoria'.' Mr Kotzmann has been charged with a string of offences including kidnapping, assault and robbery. A part heard committal hearing will resume in March.