Man accused of 'disturbing' baseball bat assault in St. Thomas to stay in jail

The man accused of accosting a family with a baseball bat in a parking lotlast week made a brief court appearance in St Thomas Monday.

Mark Phillips, 36, appeared by video link from the Elgin Middlesex Detention Centre in London, wearing a jail-issue orange jumpsuit.

• Man in southwestern Ontario charged after family attacked with bat amid shouts of 'ISIS'

A publication ban was placed on all evidence at the hearing.

Phillips is accused of aggravated assault and three counts of assault with a weapon after he allegedly attackedSergio Estepain a busy parking lot.

Estepa's wife recorded the incident on her cellphone,capturing the licence plate number of Phillip's white BMW. Police said that helped them make an arrest in neighbouring London several hours later.

Estepasuffereda cracked rib and a large bruise and admitted they were shaken following what they said was an unprovoked attack.

St. Thomas police said they were investigating the incident as something that was "racially motivated."

"It's disturbing. This was an isolated and quite disturbing incident. Hopefully it remains isolated," said Sgt. Brian Carnegie.

Phillips will be back before the court, again by video link,on Friday.