Man fronts court after ‘warehouse standoff’

A GAGEBROOK man who allegedly assaulted police offers and threatened them with a knife before an Invermay warehouse standoff has briefly appeared in Launceston Magistrates Court.

Steven Craig Murtagh, 33, was arrested on Saturday afternoon after police negotiated him out of a warehouse in which he had allegedly barricaded himself.

He was charged with evading police under aggravated circumstances, motor vehicle stealing, assaulting a police officer, aggravated assault, resisting a police officer, driving while disqualified and seven counts of breaching bail.

Mr Murtagh was remanded in custody to appear in court again at 2.15pm on Monday.

A police spokeswoman outlined the allegations against Mr Murtagh on Saturday.

She said officers had attempted to apprehend him in relation to traffic offences on Gleadow St about 3pm.

“The man attempted to flee before he assaulted and threatened police with a knife and subsequently barricaded himself inside a nearby warehouse,” the spokeswoman said. “Members of Tasmania Police, Ambulance Tasmania and Tasmania Fire Service attended the scene and the man was negotiated out of the building without further incident.”

Police thanked members of the public for their co-operation during the incident and asked for anyone who witnessed it to contact the Northern Criminal Investigation Branch on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers anonymously on 1800 333 000.

PATRICK GEE