Arrest over gun drama
AN ex-prisoner who allegedly pointed a gun at a prison guard will remain behind bars after more than 24 hours on the run.
Police arrested and charged three people alleged to have been involved in the incident on Wednesday morning.
It is alleged a prison officer was followed from the prison carpark to a school and threatened with a gun.
AN ex-prisoner who allegedly pointed a gun at a prison guard will remain behind bars after more than 24 hours on the run.
Police arrested and charged three people alleged to have been involved in the incident on Wednesday morning when a prison officer was followed and threatened with a gun.
It’s alleged about 6.50am a car with five males inside drove into the Townsville Correctional Centre carpark and completed a lap before following the female officer out as she drove off.
Suspected members of the group, who were initially spotted in a white Mazda stolen from Ayr, were found wandering around Heatley about 11pm on Thursday.
Western Patrol Group Inspector Roger Whyte said a small contingent of officers homed in on the suspects.
Police officers on bikes approached two men and a woman in a street, but the 19year-old man alleged to have pointed the gun at the prison guard “legged it”.
Insp Whyte said the teenager hid behind a bush but was no match for the dog squad.
Missack Alan Liddy, 19, was charged with one count each of going armed to cause fear, stealing and unlawful use of a motor vehicle.
He did not appear at Townsville Magistrates Court, but his defence solicitor Shontelle Samuel said he would not apply for bail. Ms Samuel told the court Liddy intended to plead guilty and a sentence date was set for June 8.
His co-accused, Kedeem Wayne O’rourke, 19, and Kymberley Anne Curtis, 19, are also charged with unlawful use of a motor vehicle.
Neither applied for bail and were remanded in custody until June 15.
The Townsville Correctional Centre was placed into lockdown after the incident, but a Queensland Corrective Services spokesman said this was lifted on Thursday.
The centre also resumed “its regular daily activities” at 10am yesterday after “Code Purple”, signifying an external threat, was stood down.
An independent internal management review of the incident will be undertaken.
Crews were investigating whether these incidents were connected to a group of juveniles who crashed a stolen Holden Commodore into a Kirwan home on Thursday.
Three juveniles involved in the incident were still on the run late yesterday.