Attempted murder charges adjourned

SOLICITORS for a Toowoomba man charged with attempted murder arising from him allegedly firing a gun while being arrested by police are to make a no case to answer submission.

Jamie Ross Cook was not in Toowoomba Magistrates court yesterday for the brief mention of his charges which include two counts of attempted murder, dangerous conduct with a weapon, carrying a weapon in a public place while loaded, possessing a shortened firearm, acts intended to prevent arrest, assault police and obstruct police.

The charges arise from an alleged incident at the Gowrie Road Hotel in Newtown on May 17 last year.

Police claim the 34-year-old fired a weapon while being arrested by two policemen at the Bridge St hotel that day.

He is also alleged to have pulled a knife on police and a customer in the hotel’s gaming room when he momentarily broke free of police.

He has not been required to enter any pleas to the charges.

Solicitor Alysha Jacobsen, of Bouchier Khan Lawyers, acting on behalf of Cook’s legal representatives, Brisbanebased Guest Lawyers, told the court she had been instructed that a no case to answer submission would be made to the prosecution.

It is believed the basis for the submission will be on mental health grounds.

The submission was expected to take between two and three hours, she said.

Magistrate Kay Ryan therefore remanded Cook in custody and adjourned the case for committal mention back in the same court on September 30.