Scenes of mayhem

A REDLYNCH man has told a jury he did not threaten to shoot police officers as he faces trial for a number of offences including common assault and dangerous conduct with a weapon.

The man, who cannot be named as it would identify a child victim of crime, took the stand on Friday.

He has pleaded not guilty to all charges, which include one count of strangulation in a domestic setting, one count of dangerous operation of a vehicle, one count of dangerous conduct with a weapon and one count of a threat.

Questioned first by defence counsel Kelly Goodwin and then cross-examined by Crown prosecutor Farook Anoozer, a picture emerged of a family arguing and fighting on the day in question.

The man told the court he had thrown plates and smashed a television, and that his partner and son had attacked him with their fists and at one stage, a baseball bat.

He testified he did not hit any of his family members, but described a family home where weapons including legal and unregistered firearms, knuckle dusters and nunchukas were kept.

In relation to the dangerous operation of a motor vehicle charge, the man described how his partner had been driving badly and he had asked to take over.

He told the court that when he did, he drove off, leaving her on the side of the road before returning to pick her up.

She had pulled the handbrake on hard in the middle of the road and he had tried to release her hand, at which point he said his son in the back seat had punched him in the head at least twice, the man told the court. That led to a further incident after they arrived home, when he said he asked his son about punching him in the head.

He testified that his partner had got in between them and started yelling, swearing and pushing herself at him.

The man said he grabbed bottles of alcohol and threw them at his own car, saying he did that because he would prefer to damage his own property than hurt his family.

He testified that at no stage did he put her in a choke hold or headlock, but that he pushed her down to the ground with his hands and she did not lose consciousness.

The prosecution alleges the man fired a gun into the side of a car and told his partner: “If you want me gone tell the coppers I’ve got a gun”.

“Did you threaten to shoot police officers?” Mr Goodwin asked him.

“No, that’s false,” he said. The trial before Judge Tracy Fantin resumes on Monday.